Todays readings.. Genesis 28&29, Psalm 33, Matthew 18

“FORGIVE … FROM YOUR HEART”

The message that jumps out of all 3 Bible Readings today is how God can react to our attitudes. In Genesis Jacob married both Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban, but Rachel he loved and Leah he hated.   God reacted, “When the LORD saw that Leah was hated he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren” (Ch.29 v.31] God reacts to the attitudes of those who seek to serve him, also to those who do not! 

In Psalm 33 v.10 we read, “The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.”  Also in this Psalm we read, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.” [v.18]

The teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18 also illustrates the same lesson. Jesus reacts strongly when his disciples ask him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” [v.1] and sets a child in their midst and says a child-like attitude is essential, telling the disciples “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom …” [v.3]  

The chapter finishes with a parable about a king who set out to settle accounts with servants who owed him money.  He is willing to forgive one who is deeply in debt, but when it was reported that this servant did not have a forgiving attitude toward a fellow servant who owed him a little money, the King was angry with that servant and delivered him to the jailers.

The chapter ends with Jesus saying, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”  We must note those last 3 words in our hearts.