Life’s Healing Life’s Healing ChoicesChoices

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown merciful for they will be shown mercy. mercy.

MercyMercy

Mercy is ________ getting what I Mercy is ________ getting what I __________.__________.

notdeserve

Giving mercy means I don’t Giving mercy means I don’t __________ when I could.__________ when I could.

punish

Matthew 18:21-35 (Living) Then Peter came to him and Then Peter came to him and asked, "Sir, how often should I asked, "Sir, how often should I forgive a brother who sins forgive a brother who sins against me? Seven times?" against me? Seven times?"

22"No!" Jesus replied, "seventy "No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!”times seven!”

23The Kingdom of Heaven can The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts decided to bring his accounts up to date. up to date.

24In the process, one of his In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who debtors was brought in who owed him $10 million! owed him $10 million! 25He He couldn't pay, so the king couldn't pay, so the king ordered him sold for the debt, ordered him sold for the debt, also his wife and children and also his wife and children and everything he had.everything he had.

26But the man fell down before But the man fell down before the king, his face in the dust, the king, his face in the dust, and said, “Oh, sir, be patient and said, “Oh, sir, be patient with me and I will pay it all.” with me and I will pay it all.”

27Then the king was filled with Then the king was filled with pity for him and released him pity for him and released him and forgave his debt. and forgave his debt.

28But when the man left the But when the man left the king, he went to a man who king, he went to a man who owed him $2,000 and grabbed owed him $2,000 and grabbed him by the throat and him by the throat and demanded instant payment.demanded instant payment.

29The man fell down before The man fell down before him and begged him to give him and begged him to give him a little time. “Be patient him a little time. “Be patient and I will pay it,” he pled.and I will pay it,” he pled.

30But his creditor wouldn't But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt would and jailed until the debt would be paid in full. be paid in full. 31Then the Then the man's friends went to the king man's friends went to the king and told him what had and told him what had happened. happened.

32And the king called before And the king called before him the man he had forgiven him the man he had forgiven and said, “You evil-hearted and said, “You evil-hearted wretch! Here I forgave you all wretch! Here I forgave you all that tremendous debt, just that tremendous debt, just because you asked me to…”because you asked me to…”

33”Shouldn't you have mercy ”Shouldn't you have mercy on others, just as I had mercy on others, just as I had mercy on you?”'on you?”' 34Then the angry Then the angry king sent the man to the king sent the man to the torture chamber until he had torture chamber until he had paid every last penny due. paid every last penny due.

Matthew 18:35 (NIV) "This is "This is how my heavenly Father will how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your forgive your brother from your heart." heart."

Matthew 6:12-15 Forgive us Forgive us our debts as we also have our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors….forgiven our debtors….14For if For if you forgive men when they you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Father will also forgive you.

15But if you do not forgive men But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. forgive your sins.

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." know what they are doing."

““What do I deserve?”What do I deserve?”

““Do I deserve better treatment?”Do I deserve better treatment?”

Isaiah 64:6 All of us have All of us have become like one who is become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us the wind our sins sweep us away.away.

2 Timothy 1:16-18 May the May the Lord show mercy to the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of me and was not ashamed of my chains. my chains. 17On the contrary, On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he searched hard for me until he found me. found me.

18May the Lord grant that he May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very on that day! You know very well in how many ways he well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. helped me in Ephesus.