THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT

"Then Peter having approached Him, said, "Master, how often will my brother [or sister] sin against me, and I will forgive him, up to seven times?"
Yahshua says to him, "I do not say to you up to seven times, _but_ up to seventy times seven!
"For this reason the kingdom of the heavens was compared to a person, a king, who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
"So when he began to be settling the accounts, one debtor was brought near to him [owing] ten thousand talents [i.e. about 950,000 pounds or 420,000 kilograms of gold or silver].
"But he not having [anything] to repay, his master commanded him to be sold, and his wife and the children, and all, whatever he was having, and to be repaid.
"So the servant, having fallen down, began prostrating himself in reverence before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will repay you all.'
"Then the master of that servant, having been moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.
"But that servant having gone out, found one of his fellow-servants who was owing to him a hundred denarii [i.e., 100 days' wages], and having seized him, he began choking [him], saying, 'Repay to me if you owe anything!'
"His fellow-servant then, having fallen down at his feet, began pleading with him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay all to you.'
"But he was not willing, _but_ having gone away, he threw him into prison until he should repay the [amount] being owed.
"But his fellow-servants, having seen the [things] having been done, were extremely grieved; and having come, they reported to their own master all the [things] having been done.
"Then having summoned him, his master says to him, 'Evil servant! All that debt I forgave you, since you pleaded with Me.
"'It was necessary [for] you also to be merciful to your fellow-servant, just as _I_ also was merciful to you, was it not?'
"And having been enraged, his master handed Him over to the torturers [or, jailers], until he should repay all being owed to him.
"In this manner also My heavenly Father will do to you*, unless you* forgive each [one] his brother [or sister] their transgressions from your* hearts." Matthew 18:21-35

If you have ever came across an individual described in this passage, you will never forget them. The unforgiving person is not a very nice person at all. When they are the ones owing something, or needing something, oh how nice and smooth talking they can be. They grovel before anyone holding what they want or need. They play the nice person role to the hilt. But; inside they are very wicked as Yahshua points out in this parable. And because of this person's duel personality disorder he was dealt harshly with overall.

Are you a forgiving person? Do you bear or hold grudges of long duration? Many people can, and will, bear hatred and grudges for decades. What does that say about someone who carries these internal evil thoughts? Nothing good I'm afraid. This thought process can even lead to murdering those who are the reason for the grudge, in the evil person's mind.

The mindset of the converted individual does everything possible to refrain from evil thoughts and personalities. They are always willing to forgive people of their slights and sins against them personally. They believe in the following passage.

"And whenever you* stand praying, be forgiving, if you* are holding anything against anyone, so that also your* Father, the [One] in the heavens, shall forgive you* of your* transgressions.
"But if you* do not forgive, neither will your* Father, the [One] in the heavens, forgive your* transgressions."

Father Yahweh's purpose of sending Yahshua to this earth was...?

From his article 7 "Steps to Lasting Love" Dov Heller M.A. offers these points:

"YOU SHALL NOT HATE YOUR FRIEND IN YOUR HEART."

Principle: Don't dismiss or deny bad feelings. You are responsible to process and resolve your bad feelings about others.

The Biblical commentators point out that the power of this commandment lies in the words, "in your heart." The implication is that it's normal to have bad feelings, even feelings of hatred. Only Mr. Spock never has bad feelings towards others. Regrettably, many people who grew up in emotionally unhealthy homes don't give themselves permission to feel their bad feelings, or for that matter, even their good feelings. Some people actually believe that highly evolved people don't ever experience bad feelings.

"DON'T TAKE REVENGE OR BEAR A GRUDGE."

Principle: If you don't finish all "old business," you will continue to hurt each other.

Unfortunately, too many couples don't repair their breakdowns 100 percent and as a result build up scores of toxic feelings and unresolved issues that are never brought to closure. When old wounds are not fully healed, they become infected and love begins to fade. This commandment tells us two ways that people try to hurt the one who hurt them: taking revenge and bearing a grudge.

Taking revenge in marriage means "getting even" or getting back at your spouse. This may look like withholding help or pleasure from your spouse such as intimacy, affection, or any kindness. How often do couples give each other the silent treatment, withdraw or attack the other with accusations or complaints? These are all forms of taking revenge and will obviously extinguish the flames of love.

Bearing a grudge is the other way we try to hurt back. We are bearing a grudge when we say to our spouse, "Okay I'll help you this time, but don't think you can get away with what you did to me again!" Or, "I'll help you, because I don't want to stoop to your level." Rate yourself on a scale from 1-10.
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Within the hearts resides either good or evil. Good if you have the personality of Abba Yahweh and bad if you imitate Satan's personality.

"For from within, out of the heart of people, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders,
thefts, covetous desires [or, greed], wicked deeds, deceit [or, treachery], flagrant sexual immorality, an evil eye [fig., envy], blasphemy, arrogance, foolishness.
"All these evils come out from within and defile the person." Mark 7:21-23

What is the purpose of receiving Yahweh's Holy Spirit? Do you think His Holy Spirit causes you to think and do evil? When you are filled with His Holy Spirit, could you murder someone? With the Holy Spirit could you bear a grudge? Would you be unforgiving? As sad as it may seem, many people who profess a faith and belief in the Bible, are filled with hate, and bear grudges of long duration. How can this be? Remember the Scribes and Pharisees of Matthew Chapter 23? Everything in their lives was contingent upon the outside appearance. They appeared righteous unto men, but inside they were filled with all unrighteousness.

There is no soundness of mind when you cannot forgive your fellow man. There is no soundness of mind when you bear grudges. The following excerpt gives valuable insight.

A Code of Jewish Ethics: Volume 1
You Shall Be Holy
Written by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

9: BEARING A GRUDGE

• As Rabbi Telushkin points out on page 314 #1 and #2, hatred and untamed anger cause more suffering than any other human emotion and violate Judaism’s most fundamental principles. He reminds us of what Hillel said: “Yet this is exactly what hate-filled people do: treat others in a way that they would hate to be treated.”

The motivator in hatred and an unforgiving attitude is being hate-filled. This internal unchanged behavior is the result of non-repentant or superficial repentant individuals. This evil behavior pattern can be found in either. We understand the hate-filled criminal mind set, but; what about the supposed converted individuals? What about someone who professes a belief in the Bible teachings, (including following Torah) but can't forgive others and bear grudges? Are these people really converted? No!

"Blessed is that servant, whom his master when he comes shall find so doing.
Of a truth I say to you, that he will set him over all that he has.
But if that servant shall say in his heart, My master delays his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
the master of that servant shall come in a day when he expects not, and in an hour when he knows not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.
And that servant, who knew his master's will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;
but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more." Luke 12:43-48

The converted individual does his master's will. The unconverted individual will do just the opposite. Which one are you?

"And just as you* want that people shall be doing to you, _you*_ also be doing to them likewise. Luke 6:31

Should changes in behavior be apparent? I mean, should you be able to determine someone is now different? Considering their old lifestyle and the new person, will changes be visible to others?

"And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.
And He coming out from the boat, immediately out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit met Him,
who had his abode among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him, not even with chains.
Because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn by him, and the fetters had been shattered. And no one was able to subdue him.
And continually night and day in the hills, and in the tombs, he was crying and cutting himself with stones.
And seeing Yahshua from afar, he ran and bowed the knee to Him.
And crying with a loud voice, he said, What is to me and to You, Yahshua, Son of the most high Elohim? I adjure You by El, do not torment me.
For He said to him, Unclean spirit, come out of the man!
And He asked him, What is your name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion, because we are many.
And he begged Him very much that He would not send them outside the country.
And a great herd of swine were feeding there near the mountain.
And all the demons begged Him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
And Yahshua immediately allowed them. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered into the swine. And the herd rushed down the precipice into the sea (and they were about two thousand), and they were choked in the sea.
And those who fed the swine fled, and they told it to the city, and to the fields. And they came out to see what was happening.
And they came to Yahshua, and stared at the one who had been demon possessed, sitting and being clothed, and being in his senses, the one who had the legion. And they feared." Mark 5:1-15

What happened here? Was there a personality change? From being possessed by demons to soundness of mind. From a violent destructive behavior to a docile individual now in his right mind. Visible change!

"But that sown on the good ground is this: the one hearing the Word, and understanding it, who indeed bears and yields fruit, one truly a hundredfold, and one sixty, and one thirty." Matthew 13:23

Good fruit is brought forth by the converted individual. The individual with Yahweh's Holy Spirit cannot bear bad fruit. On the other hand, a bad/corrupt tree cannot bear or bring forth good fruit.

"But beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are plundering wolves.
From their fruits you shall know them. Do they gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
So every good tree produces good fruits, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruits.
A good tree cannot produce evil fruits, nor a corrupt tree produce good fruits." Matthew 7:16-18

"Everyone who has been begotten of Yahweh does not sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of Yahweh.
By this the children of Yahweh and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone not practicing righteousness is not of Yahweh; also the one not loving his brother. 1 John 3:9-10

There will always be visible evidence if you will look close enough. Bad examples abound, while good examples are a rare find. Sort of like that hidden treasure that sometimes take an entire lifetime to find. But when it is finally found? You understand what I am saying here, don't you? Good examples are indeed a rare find in today's world of sin and degradation.

Yours in Yahshua, Hawke