Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this week is Matthew 20:1-16.

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

In this lesson, sometimes called the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Jesus teaches us about our relationship to each other in the kingdom of God. We did not all begin our journey with Christ at the same time, from the same place or the same point in our lives. However, in His eyes, we are all the same.

Because He sees us as equals, we are all under the same expectations as His workers in the field. We have been called to share His love and the blessing of salvation with others through the gifts we have been given. Each is expected to follow the commandments to love God, love neighbor and make disciples.

However, Jesus also recognizes us as individuals, distinctly gifted for our work in the kingdom and called for a purpose. While we have a single, common goal to strive for, Jesus knows and loves each of us individually. He teaches us to work together but to love each other as unique individuals.

Wise and wonderful God, You have created us to be Your people, bound by a desire to be useful in Your kingdom. Help us to see each other as fellow workers with diverse gifts needed to reach all people for You. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 18:21-35.

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

When we are forgiven, we are blessed with relief and restoration. It is the same blessing when we forgive others. Jesus teaches that not forgiving means carrying an unnecessary burden of resentment and conflict that could be lifted by forgiving the one who wronged us.

Sometimes we think “but that lets them off the hook, why should I forgive them when they were wrong?” Imagine if Jesus thought this way! Why should our sins be forgiven when we were wrong?

Jesus knows the truth – He is the Truth – and He teaches us that love and forgiveness destroy the power of wrong. In our human desire for others to “get what’s coming to them” we must realize that also means getting what’s coming to us! Jesus tells us to drop our grievances by forgiving and loving as God does, and enter His kingdom.

Gracious God, we don’t deserve the blessing of Your mercy and forgiveness, but You offer it anyway. Help us to forgive from our hearts, giving up the hate and the wound we all carry. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 18:21-35.

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Jesus shows us that love is shared through forgiveness. Even when He was falsely accused and killed for us, He prayed “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He wants us to be able to forgive others in the same way.

“Lord, surely there are some we shouldn’t forgive!” we exclaim. There are people who have done terrible things, intentionally harming God’s creation and His children. Jesus makes no mention of who we may exclude, instead He gives us the example of forgiving those who crucified Him.

Christ’s faithful witness testifies to God’s love. People will be called to account for their actions by the Father and His will and His justice will be done. Until then, we are commanded to love and forgive as He has done for us.

Loving Lord, we find it hard to understand the depth of Your love and mercy for us. Help us to see that only by loving and forgiving each other can we truly claim to be Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 18:21-35.

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Jesus teaches that there will be consequences for those who do not forgive. In His lesson the king tells the wicked servant “shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” This is not a request but a requirement.

Accepting God’s forgiveness obligates us to treat our brothers and sisters in the same manner. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we condone bad behavior, however it does mean we have a responsibility to show kindness and offer them the opportunity to change. We must reconnect with them.

Mending our relationship with God requires us to also repair our relationship with each other. We can’t love God and hate our neighbor. The forgiveness Jesus teaches is the way we begin loving the whole world.

Wise and wonderful God, we are grateful that You forgive when we have done wrong. Help us to forgive each other that we may live together in Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 18:21-35.

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

God’s mercy and forgiveness is given to us as a free gift. There is nothing we can do to deserve or earn it. If we are truly thankful for this blessing, we must respond in kind, offering our forgiveness to others without expectation.

If we require something in return in order to forgive others, we are not practicing the lesson Jesus taught. He told Peter and the disciples they must continue to forgive without concern for how many times they did. Keeping track of offenses only hardens our hearts.

This is so important that Jesus included it in the model prayer He taught us – “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12). Forgiveness frees both the offender and the one who was hurt from the burden. When we forgive others, we are both blessed.

Gracious God, in Your mercy we have been forgiven. Help us to live in Your light, offering our forgiveness to others and bringing all to the joy of a relationship with You. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 18:21-35.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Do you remember a time when you were forgiven something? Did it feel like a weight being lifted, something to no longer fear, relief? God is waiting to give us that feeling, only stronger than any earthly forgiveness could possibly be.

When we accept God’s forgiveness, we become a new creation, born to a new life. Some say it is being repurposed, but it’s really being put to our original purpose – to love God, love one another and make sure everyone gets to hear about the joy of that connection. Being forgiven clears our accounts, as the king did for the servant in our scripture this week.

However, God’s forgiveness creates a new obligation in our lives, to be part of His family and part of His work here. We accept a responsibility for each other when we are forgiven, a responsibility the wicked servant from the lesson failed. If we want to be truly forgiven, we must forgive all who have wronged us, carrying only the love of God in our changed hearts and lives.

Loving Lord, You have loved and forgiven us. Help us to love and forgive others that they may see the truth and joy that only a relationship with You can bring. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 18:21-35.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

This lesson on forgiveness has another point for us to consider – patience. When the king brings the servant in for the accounting, the servant pleads “be patient with me and I will pay back everything”. We learn that we must give each other time in order to make things right.

It is hard for us to change and we should not expect an immediate improvement. We must remember that Jesus is patient with us, watching the gradual growth in our lives. We must also be patient with the change in each other, knowing that we are all on a journey to become better people.

Forgiveness requires patience and understanding. We all need love and support to move forward on the path Jesus showed us. When we forgive each other and share the mercy Christ has taught us, we too become better children of the kingdom.

Loving Lord, we are grateful that You came for us while we were still sinners, giving us grace to change our hearts and lives and follow You. Help us to show the same compassion to our brothers and sisters, forgiving them as You first forgave us. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 18:21-35.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Peter asks a question that indicates he’s not quite to the point Jesus would hope for us. By asking for a number of times to forgive someone he shows that he still thinks in human terms of limits. While Jesus gives a number as an answer, He doesn’t want us to count or keep track at all.

Remembering how many times we should forgive someone shouldn’t even enter our thinking. Jesus gives us a lesson about this that uses money as an example, but the fact is that forgiveness covers much more than financial obligations. If we keep track of how much we forgive, we must also record how often and how much we have been forgiven.

Jesus tells us how this kind of thinking is inconsistent with the kingdom of God. Forgiveness is to be given freely because God in His mercy has forgiven us all our sins. Jesus doesn’t ask how many times we’ve been forgiven to determine if we’re still eligible, He just loves us all.

Gracious God, we are often petty in our dealings with each other, forgetting how much You love and forgive us. Help us to be caring to our brothers and sisters who need our love and forgiveness. Amen.