Thursday, February 09, 2012

“ . . .(T)he kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a (bank) who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since (it) was not able to pay, the master ordered that (it) and (it's assets) and all that (it) had be sold to repay the debt.
    “At this the (banker) fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The (banker’s) master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
    “But when that (banker) went out, he found (a person for whom he held the mortgage) 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 (person's house taken away because he could not) pay the debt. When the other (debtors) saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
    “Then the master called the (banker) in. ‘You wicked (banker),’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow (debtor) just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed (them) 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.”