Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-19
Sunday School Lesson
By
Rev. Hugh T. Stevenson.

an injury; that in refraining from this
we are forbearing to exercise our right,
and consequently that there Is a limit
beyond which we have no call to ex-
ercise such forbearance," which theory
our Lord cleared away when He made
the obligation universal and uncondt-
tional to forgive whenever We find there
exists real sorrow for sin.
There is a need in every community,
congregation and country today for the
petition of Peter, that Luke records was
the apostles reply to Christ's promulga-
ton of the law of unlimited forgiveness.
Lord increase our faith"-that this
great truth may not only be spiritually
comprehended by our minds, but that
we may have the disposition to prac-
tice its precepts. Jesus established the
justice of the law of unlimited forgive
ness by a parable that illustrated the
duties of neighbors, which is a prac-
tical exposition of the Masters teach
ings concerning prayer. He taught His
disciples to pray, Forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors" Christ
selected the imagery of the parable
from the common customs OF ancient
times to furnish an illustration that
would make clear His law of forgive
ness.
Law of Forgiveness.
The parable illustrated the law Of for
giveneSs, which teaches that If we eX-
pect forgiveness, we must forgive. We
all desire God to be rnerciful to us when
we face Him at the hour of reckoning
for the deeds we have committed
against Him. Every sin Of our life en-
larges our debts to the Almighty. Not
one of us can justify our failure to dc
His will and obey His commands, for we
ETriI INa fNor or o.
ment, just as much as the defaulting
servant was, whose embezzlement OF
the Kings treasure would total nearly
IL millions in the eyes of his sovereign
According to the ancient custom, which
the parable condemns, the creditor
could sell the debtor, his family and all
that he possessed to pay his debts. He
escaped through the mercy of his King
even as we have obtained a complete
reconciliation to the Father and res
toration to divine fellowship through
the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
died to save us.
II any saved soul should exhibit to-
ward his fellows anything like the con-
temptible cruelty of the forgiven debtor
to one of his inferior servants, who
owed him about SIT, we should expect
that God would reverse his decision ir
our favor, because we had demonstrated
that we were not worthy of His favor
When the King heard how his servant
had treated another debtor, refusing
any consideration, mercy or kindness
throwing him into the debtors prison
until he should pay his bill in full, the
King reversed his decision and placed
his defaulting servant into the same
prison where he had forced one who
awed him a small amount to be placed
What he demanded of others he re-
ceived himself.
The searching parable clearly teache,
the justice and duty of our forgivine
without limit all personal injuries, in.
suits and apparent injustice that VIZ
may suffer. Having been forgiven
| much, we are morally bound to b.
| equally forgiving in our relations t.
others. Not to do this violates thu
| Golden Rule, for it is to refuse Il
another what has already been dont
for us upon much larger scale. No
to do so would violate the spirit of love
which we rightly associate with the &C
| Of forgiveness, and the spirit of justict
that is the basis of our claim that al
men are equal before God.
! Our Lord revealed by this parabl,
how searching is the law of justice ant
| how broad Is its application to our con
duct by the stern warning, $50 shall
also my Heavenly Father do unto you
If We forgive not every one his brothe
| from your hearts" It Is only as W,
seek to live the risen life with Chris
| that We can exhibit the love required
! to forgive all who in any way injure us
1t is only through the life that come.
| to us from above through the resur.
rection Of our Lord that we can revea
His spirit Of forgiveness to all men.