The fellow in Jesus' story (from yesterday’s article) couldn't or wouldn't accept the good news. He couldn't believe it, receive it, or enjoy it. He thought that he was still under condemnation as a debtor—and a big debtor, at that! He thought that he had merely been given a little more time to work things out, to get his life together, to work harder, scrimp and save more diligently, and to pinch pennies more tightly.

And because he thought he was still living in bondage, he was! All the guilt, resentment, anxiety, fear, stress, and striving were still there in his life, as far as he was concerned. Moreover, because he thought he still owed, he thought he still had to pay; and because he thought that he still had to pay, it was then necessary that he collect from everyone and anyone who owed him anything, large debts or small.

Furthermore, he felt that he had a right to extract payment from others, no matter how badly they were hurting already, or how badly he hurt them by demanding either payment or imprisonment. Many of us are like that in the way we deal with our immediate family members as well as our “extended” family members in the body of Christ. We need to realize that Jesus bought and paid for our salvation and for our daily forgiveness. He paid the price for our sins, so we might be free—free to live in heaven one of these days, but also free to enjoy living in close relationship to His family here on earth.