Sunday, July 23, 2023

Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant

Introduction to the parable of the unforgiving servant

Jesus taught the parable of the unforgiving servant in order to explain an important truth to Peter. Jesus began the story when Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive his brother or sister who do wrong to him.

Peter asked if he should forgive that individual up to seven times. To Peter's surprise, Jesus said that he must forgive others seventy times times seven.

How much is 70 times x 7?

Parable of the unforgiving servant

Jesus then told the parable of the unforgiving servant to show that we must forgive others just as God forgives us. This is the parable:

A king wanted to settle his accounts with his servants. One man who owed him 10,000 bags of gold was brought in. Since he was not able to repay his debts, the King ordered that he, along with his wife and children, had to be sold as slaves.

The servant fell to his knees. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged. ‘I will repay everything.’ On hearing his pleas for mercy, the king took pity on him, canceled the debt, and released the servant.

While on his way out the servant saw a fellow servant who owed him 100 silver coins. The servant who was released grabbed his colleague by the neck and began to choke him:

‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.’

The man fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay you back.’

The servant refused and had the man put in prison until he paid the debt of 100 silver coins.

The other servants were outraged at the cruel actions of the man who the king had released

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged. They went to the king and told him what had happened.

The king became angry and locked up the unforgiving servant

The king became angry and summoned the unforgiving servant:

‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all your debt when you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have shown the same mercy to your fellow servant?’

He handed the man over to the jailors to be punished until he paid back all he owed.

''As Jesus concluded the parable, he said to Peter, ‘this is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’

The meaning of the parable of the unforgiving servant

The parable of the unforgiving servant teaches several lessons. The first is that we must be patient with other people even when they repeatedly do us wrong.

Jesus said that we must be so patient that we should be willing to forgive them seventy times seven. This is a lot of times, especially when people refuse to stop doing us wrong.

The second lesson from the unforgiving servant is that we must remember that we need God to forgive our sins. He will not forgive us if we fail to forgive others.

What does it mean to forgive?

To forgive means to release people from a debt they owe. When anyone does wrong to us, and asks for pardon, forgiveness means that we should not get back at them.

We too need God to forgive our sins and He does just that. He patiently forgives until we learn to stop doing the sin.

Jesus taught us that God will forgive us as long as we forgive others.

However, boys and girls, He does not expect you to keep quiet or hide things that are not right. If someone does something that can endanger your life, health or innocence, you should tell a parent, a teaher or caregiver.

In this way, you will be protected from injury.

The parable of the unforgiving servant is not about criminal activity

Readers please pay attention and note that the parable of the unforgiving servant is not about criminal activity.

If a crime is committed, then take all necessary action to deal with the perpetrator.

Allow the courts to take action against the person when dealing with the matter.

If the person asks for forgiveness, grant it to them. This does not mean that criminal charges should be dropped, as justice must be served.

It means that you will not hate them. Even God reserves hell for unrepentant sinners. A repentant sinner is a person who changes his or her ways.

Forgive them in your heart even if they do not ask for forgiveness. You do not want to live with bitterness and anger, because God hates these things.

More importantly, forgiveness releases you from holding on to the pain of the sin done against you.

Parable of the unforgiving servant bible verses

MATTHEW 18 21- 35 - NAS – New American Standard Bible (NASB)

21 Then Peter came and said to Him, ``Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

22 Jesus said to him, ``I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23 ``For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

24 ``When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25 ``But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

26 ``So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, `Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

27 ``And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

28 ``But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, `Pay back what you owe.'

29 ``So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, `Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

30 ``But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

31 ``So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

32 ``Then summoning him, his lord said to him, `You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33 `Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

34 ``And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

35 ``My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

Saturday, July 15, 2023

The Jealous Brother Of The Prodigal Son

In today's story, we will learn about the jealous brother of the Prodigal son. Last time, we learned about the Prodigal son who left home with his inheritance and spent all recklessly.

What happened to the Prodigal son in the previous story?

The younger son wasted all the inheritance money that his father had given to him. He became homeless and hungry and fed pigs for a living. During that time, he remembered his loving father and returned to him.

‘I’m not worthy to be your son. I am sorry I have wasted all the inheritance money you gave me. Let me be your servant,’ he begged his father.

The father’s heart was filled with loving kindness towards his son. He told his servant to bring the best robe and shoes and a ring for his son’s finger.

He told his servants to prepare the best roast beef and food for a great feast, with music and dancing, to celebrate the return of his long lost son.

The brother of the Prodigal son returns from the fields

When the older brother came home from working hard on the farm all day and heard the music and laughter, he wondered what the fuss was all about.

He was so jealous that his father was celebrating the return of his useless brother.

‘I have worked hard for you for years. What have you ever done for me?’ he asked.

‘Son you are always with me and everything I have is yours. We should be happy and celebrate together that your lost brother is found."

What message can we learn from the jealous brother of the Prodigal son?

We must choose to be happy when people repent of their sins and come to Christ.

We learn too that we should not be jealous when someone else is honoured.

Our Father in Heaven rejoices when someone who is far from Him returns and asks for forgiveness

Prodigal son bible verses

Luke 15: 1 - 3 and 11 - 24

Luk 15:1

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.

Luke 15:2

And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Luk 15:3

So he told them this parable:

Luk 15:11

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.

Luk 15:12

And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.

Luk 15:13

Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

Luk 15:14

And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.

Luk 15:15

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

Luk 15:16

And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

Luk 15:17

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!

Luk 15:18

I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

Luk 15:19

I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’

Luk 15:20

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

Luk 15:21

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Luk 15:22

But the father said to his servants,‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

Luk 15:23

And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

Luk 15:24

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

The jealous brother of the Prodigal Son bible verses

Luk 15:25 - “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Luk 15:26 - And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

Luk 15:27 - And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’

Luk 15:28 - But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,

Luk 15:29 - but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

Luk 15:30 - But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

Luk 15:31 - And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

Luk 15:32 - It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Click here to download the story leaflet

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Jesus' Parable Of The Prodigal Son

Today'story is about Jesus' Parable Of The Prodigal Son. The prodigal son story is well-known and loved by children everywhere.

We hope that the prodigal son for kids will bring this story and its message alive as you read.

Prodigal meaning

A prodigal is a person who spends money or using resources freely and recklessly.

The prodigal son story

Jesus told this story when the religious leaders grumbled that he was friendly with sinners. In response, Jesus said:

A man had two sons and they both worked together on their father’s land. Someday the two sons would inherit all their father’s possessions.

One day the youngest son said,

‘Father give me the money I will inherit when you die. I want to see the world and have a good time, now."

The father gave the youngest son his share of the inheritance money, praying that his son would spend it wisely and live a good life.

But the son had wild parties to impress his new friends. Everyone wanted to be his best friend because he paid for everything.

Soon the money had all gone. When the landlord came to get the rent money he couldn’t pay. His new friends disappeared and now he was homeless.

There was a famine in the land and the young son was all alone and hungry. A farmer gave him a job looking after his pigs and he wanted to eat the pig food.

8 ‘My father feeds his servants well,’ he thought. ‘I will go home and be his servant.’ His father saw him in the distance and was overjoyed. He ran to meet his lost son.

What is the main message of the prodigal son?

In the story, God is the father and the prodigal son is a sinner. The story tells us that sometimes people wander away from their Heavenly Father and go to Satan's land to live.

They waste all of the good things God gave them in i take all of the good g

While they are in Satan's country, they waste the good things God gave them. They do all kinds of things that they should not do. These things make the Heavenly Father unhappy.

However, Satan and the people in his land do not love them. Soon all of the money will be gone, and nothing will be left.

Like the Prodigal Son, that is the time to return to God the Heavenly Father. The Prodigal Son said that he would confess his errors and ask for forgiveness.

As we see in the story, his father was looking out for him. In the same way, our Heavenly Father is waiting to

restore children who left home for satan's kingdom.

Prodigal son bible verses -