Daily Devotional For Tuesday, December 30, 2025
Note: In each devotional where you see only the reference to a Bible passage without the verse (ex. John 3:16), that is a direct link to that passage online. All you have to do is click on that reference and you will be taken to the verse itself. Thank you.
Good morning Southside. We are quickly approaching the New Year – 2026. This year has flown by. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew and today we come to Matthew 18:21-35. This is one long teaching by Jesus on forgiveness. Therefore, we are going to take several days to honor Jesus’ teachings. Here is the passage below:
“Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ (22) Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (23) For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. (24) When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. (25) But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. (26) So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ (27) And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. (28) But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ (29) So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ (30) But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. (31) So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. (32) Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. (33) Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ (34) And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. (35) My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart’” (NASB).
Since this is such a long passage, we are taking several days to work our way through it. Let’s admit it. Forgiveness does not come to us naturally. We resist it. Forgiving another is difficult and for some of us we can relate to King Louis XII of France who said this, “Nothing smells so sweet as the dead body of your enemy.” Can you relate to that quote? Yet nothing else in the Christian faith characterizes what a genuine, authentic Christian is as forgiveness. When we give it, we model Jesus’ cry from the cross in Luke 23:34a, “But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (NASB).
After being betrayed by one of His own disciples named Judas, Jesus was then scourged with 39 lashes of the Cat-of-Nine-Tails that stripped out skin, flesh, sinew, muscle. He went through 6 illegal trials, and then while being crucified, Jesus shouted from the cross Luke 23:34a.
We see this same attitude early on in the new church with Stephen. While being stoned to death, he prayed this to God the Father in Acts 7:60, “Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep (died)” (NASB). Just like Jesus, Stephen did not allow bitterness, hatred and anger to enter his heart against those killing him. Instead, compassion filled his heart. Why? Because that is the mark of an authentic, genuine saved person. We see the same result years later by Joseph against his brothers who had sold him into slavery in Egypt (See Gen. 50:19-21).
A forgiving heart is one of the marks of a person after God’s own heart. We see this with David when King Saul kept trying to kill him. David’s own men pressured him to kill King Saul and David refused (See 1 Samuel 24:6, 12 and 1 Sam. 26:11). This is one of the reasons both the Old and New Testaments refer to David “as a man after God’s own heart” (see 1 Sam. 13:14 and Acts 13:22). Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:
“Forgiveness reflects the highest human virtue, because it so clearly reflects the character of God. A person who forgives is a person who emulates godly character. Nothing so much demonstrates God’s love as His forgiveness. A person who does not forgive is therefore a person lacking in godly character and without Christlike love, no matter how orthodox his theology or how outwardly impeccable his morals appear to be. A Christian who will not relinquish a hateful, resentful attitude toward someone who has wronged him is a person who knows neither the true glory of his redeemed humanity nor the true glory of God’s gracious divinity. An unforgiving Christian is a living contradiction of His new nature in Christ. It is central to the heart of God to forgive, and only the Christian who radiates forgiveness radiates true godliness” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 143).
Assignment: Answer these questions: Are you more like David and Stephen when it comes to forgiveness? Are you more like Jesus when it comes to forgiveness? If not, why would you expect the Lord to forgive you of your sins against Him when you will not forgive others of their sins against you or someone else? Does your life more resemble the attitude of King Louis XII of France or more of Jesus in Luke 23:34? Why? God’s heart is a forgiving heart. Is yours? Why or why not?
Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 6:15, “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I want to resemble David, Stephen and especially Jesus. I accept that not forgiving others forces You to not forgive me. I accept that refusing to forgive others cuts off Your blessings in my life. You do not bless sin. It cuts off opportunities to be used by You to impact others with the Gospel. Please forgive me and help me to forgive others. In Jesus’ name. Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly