The Route and the Root

“…the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants... a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants 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 man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt… “Then the master called the servant in...Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him 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.”

Matthew 18:23-35 selected

Forgiveness is the route to mercy.

This was an important part of the message we heard on Sunday. If we desire mercy extended to us then we need to be a people extending mercy to others. The route to mercy is through forgiveness. Now if you use Google maps or Mapquest as tools to plan out directions for a trip you are setting out on then you put in the starting location and the destination you want to arrive at and then the route is mapped out for you. The same is true for mercy. If you want to know the mercy of God working in your life then plot out your journey by way of the forgiveness route. Vengeance Boulevard and Payback Avenue will not get you to your destination. You must follow the route laid out in scripture.

If you desire mercy it is routed through forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the root to mercy.

A root is defined as: “the part of the plant, usually below the ground, that holds the plant in position, draws water and nourishment from the soil and stores food.”

Mercy in my life cannot be ‘held in place’ without the root of forgiveness. A believer’s life devoid of forgiveness is a life without the refreshing water and nourishing food of mercy. Forgiveness ‘refreshes’, ‘feeds’ and ‘nourishes’ mercy in me and in turn that mercy I extend to others.

In our parable today the servant found mercy extended when his debt was forgiven. However, when that same servant failed to forgive another person he soon found mercy was no longer available to him.

If you want the mercy of God and others extended to you, then be a person who knows the route and the root of mercy and forgives others as you too have been forgiven.