One of the first things most parents try to teach their children when they start interacting with other children is to “play nice.” We see original sin rear its ugly head when one toddler is playing with something that another toddler sees and wants to have. One will try to snatch it away from the other. Sometimes a tug of war will ensue, perhaps it will even come to blows. Sometimes one child will be driven to tears when the other child runs away with the toy they had just been playing with a moment ago. This is definitely a “teachable moment” in the lives of children.

Unfortunately, some are not taught and some do not learn how to “play nice” and get along. So many in our world today live with a sense of entitlement and do not care how their actions affect anyone but themselves. How should we deal with this? It is not easy, but God gives us advice in His Word.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Many times people will sink to the level of the person who has wronged them. We don’t want to forgive others because we feel like it “let’s them off the hook.” What followers of Jesus need to remember is that we have all been “let off the hook” by Jesus. We don’t get the punishment our sins deserve. So why do we try to impose punishment on others? We all have a tendency to act like the man in Jesus’ parable who was forgiven a great debt that he could never repay, and then showed no mercy to his neighbor who owed him a few dollars.

Matthew 18:21–35  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents 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. “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 denarii. 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 you back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned 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 from your heart.”

When you and I forgive each other, it frees us from the anger and burden of holding a grudge. It enables us to live the new life to which we have been called, responding to the forgiveness and salvation givin to us by trying to please God and serve our neighbor.

Perhaps we need to be reminded that forgiveness does not mean there will be no punishment. Our forgiveness involved punishment. Jesus took that for us. When you forgive others, it is because you know that you have been forgiven. You should not be concerned about the punishment phase for your neighbor. Either they will repent and the punishment Jesus took will pay their price, or they will not repent and be punished by God for their sins. Either way, that should not be your concern. Just follow God’s advice: forgive one another, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.