“I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalm 7:17
In the parable Jesus told about the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23-34), the debtor was forgiven a huge debt, more than he could ever hope to repay in his lifetime. Instead of being thankful, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a comparatively small amount of money and demanded payment and when he couldn’t pay, had him thrown into jail. The parable is primarily about forgiveness, but it’s also about thankfulness.
We’ve been forgiven a huge debt. Our debt of sin that Jesus bore for us on the cross, is more than we could ever hope to repay in our lifetime. We live in a broken world with the evidence of sin constantly around us. We’ve become so accustomed to sin, we overlook its offence to a holy God.
Isaiah was a godly prophet but when confronted with the holiness of God, he said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Isaiah 6:5). Peter had a similar experience (Luke 5:8) and so did John (Revelation 1:17). One day we will see Jesus, risen and glorified. Then we’ll fully realise the depths Jesus descended, to enter our sin-filled world.
In the meantime, every time we think of the Cross, let’s allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with thankfulness that God would step in and pay our debt. Let’s acknowledge the debt is more than we can ever repay and respond with great thankfulness and songs of praise.
Let’s pray …
Thank you Lord that you are just. Your justice demanded the debt of sin be paid, so you paid it yourself, on the Cross. I am forever grateful.
In Jesus’ name
Amen
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