Making Payment

But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. Matthew 18:25

Under our legal system a person cannot sell himself into slavery to pay a debt. Better still, the wife and children cannot be sold into slavery for a man's debt. Pause for a moment to imagine the outrage if such a story was played out here in the U.S. now. That master would have a forest of signs and a sea of angry people outside of his office faster than we could say, 'wait for the end of the story!'

In the story, the master is moved to compassion and, even though the man promised to pay all, not only did the master grant him a release but forgave the debt entirely! I hope you feel released and forgiven today because our master, whom we could not repay, has done the same for us with one big difference. In the story the master does not have to give up or sell his son to pay that debt.

In Bethlehem of Judea, a child was born who would be the payment for the sin debt we could not pay. That Christmas gift is so valuable that our gratitude seems but a paltry beginning for a the gift that spans eternity.

Merry Christmas!
Bucky