An Hundred Pence

Recently two friends have taken the time to search me (and my books) out on the internet and have not only taken the time to read through these blogs and my website, but have also commented how much they liked what I have written and included thus far. For a writer there is no higher compliment and motivator.

One of them was even kind enough to say that my excuse for why I have not updated or written more was just that: an excuse. I should be sharing my thoughts and writing more. There is always enough time. The trick is using and organizing that time more effectively to do what is most important in one's life.

So today's lesson from the Gospel According to Guy stems from personal experience and which subject has been on my mind of late - especially this past week and particularly yesterday.

For a little over a year my mind has been weighed with the parable found in Matthew 18: 21-35. In this account, a servant owes his lord/master a sum of 10,000 talents. Now, it is interesting to note that according to several sources, the equivalent of one talent, by today's gold value and economy, is over $1 million dollars. Multiply this by 10,000, and you have a servant who owes his master $10 trillion dollars! I think it is no mistake that this enormous and incomprehensible sum is used for the lesson of the parable. ANYWAY... When the servant couldn't pay it back the master applied the law which called for the selling of the servant, the servant's wife, and the servant's children (all he had) to repay the debt.

"The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all."

Not likely, given the sum that he owed, but consider the master's response. "Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt."

Truly, as only the Master to us all could....

But here is where this account has special implication to us (me). Then that servant found one of his own servants who owed him an hundred pence. Again, according to sources, a pence is equal to about .16 cents. Times that by 100 and you have him owing this servant $16. And when this lesser servant couldn't repay it the servant ignored his plea for more time to repay the debt, applied the law, and had him cast into prison until the debt could be repaid. When the master heard of what his servant (whom he had forgiven a large debt) had done to another who owed him a meager amount, the master "was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him."

I have had much forgive over the past years, and despite this weight and burden that was lifted from my shoulders and removed from my life, I find myself struggling to truly forgive those who may have offended or owe me little (in comparison). I suspect I am not alone in this struggle, but I hope that I can overcome these feelings, let them alone, and mete out even the small amount of forgiveness that I can muster.

And that's...the Gospel According to Guy