This week we come to the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. It is hard to think of a more practical parable, because almost everyone hears it and winces a bit. Forgiving and being forgiven is painful and all too real. And at the heart of it: patience. "Long-suffering." Forgiving is not "wait a bit" and see if there's change. It requires the willingness to wait a long time before getting angry. And... right about now some of you are reading this and thinking "I did wait a long time!" Why is this so difficult for us? Please notice from the way Jesus constructs this story: he knows we struggle to extend forgiveness largely because we are so blind to our own hypocrisy. So what hope is there? And what are tangible steps we can take to grow a heart that readily forgives? Let's talk about the irony and joy of "Have Patience with Me" (Matthew 18:21-35).
