05.29.22 | Of The Spirit
Patience
Noel Heikkinen
Matthew 18:21–35
There is a critical link between patience and forgiveness. Do you struggle to forgive those who hurt you? Pastor Noel Jesse Heikkinen reminds us of the perfect example of both patience and forgiveness we have in Jesus. As believers, we are forgiven through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and that should lead us to forgive freely and find joy in all circumstances.
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Love is patient…
”to make long” “to stretch out“ – ארך
A person’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
A patient person shows great understanding, but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.
μακροθυμία – “long suffering”
ὑπομονή – “endurance”
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.
Patience is the ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people or circumstances without losing oneʼs temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance. It includes the capacity to bear pain or trials without complaint, the ability to forbear under severe provocation, and the self-control that keeps one from acting rashly even though suffering opposition or adversity. – Tyndale Bible Dictionary
And what if God, wanting to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction?
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.
Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”
“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.
For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him. Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.
“At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’
Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.
That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed.
When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.
What is a time in your life where God was patient with you? What is an area of your life now that you feel like you should give more fully to God?
Think back over your life. Are there events that have happened, or people that have hurt you that you haven’t forgiven? What is holding you back from that?
Have you seen your own patience grow? How would you like it to grow more in the future?
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