Forgiveness Plus

Bible Reading: Leviticus 5:15-16; 6:4-5; Luke 19:1-10

“Please forgive me, Lord,” prayed Mateo one night at bedtime. “I didn’t mean to run into Mrs. Allen’s fence this afternoon. Though I guess I shouldn’t have been cutting across her lawn, since she told me not to do that. I won’t do it again. Please forgive me for breaking her rosebush too. Amen.” He jumped up and climbed into bed, ready to be tucked in.

Mateo’s mother kissed him and covered him up. “Mateo,” she said, “you didn’t say anything to me about Mrs. Allen’s fence. What happened?”

Mateo frowned. “Do I have to tell you? I already asked Jesus to forgive me.”

“Yes, and I know He has forgiven you,” Mom assured him, “but if you share what happened, I might be able to help you make amends.”

“Make amends?” asked Mateo. “What does that mean?”

“It means to make things right with someone. The Bible teaches that if our sin hurts somebody besides ourselves, we must do our best to make things right with that person too,” explained Mom. “Jesus forgives us when we sin, but we’re still responsible to do whatever we can to straighten out the situation. Perhaps you need to go see Mrs. Allen and apologize. She’s probably wondering what happened to her fence and rosebush.”

Mateo hesitated. “Yeah, I guess I do,” he admitted. “Do I have to offer to pay for them with my own money?”

“What do you think?” asked Mom gently.

“Yeah.” Mateo sighed. “I think I do.”

Mom nodded. “There’s a story in the Bible about a man named Zacchaeus who was a tax collector and got rich by making people pay him more money than they owed. But all that changed when he met Jesus. When Jesus wanted to be his friend even though he was a sinner, Zacchaeus not only turned from his sinful ways, he made amends for them. He promised to pay back anyone he had cheated four times more than he had taken from them.”

Mateo’s eyes grew wide. “Do I need to pay Mrs. Allen that much?”

Mom laughed. “No. But offering to help repair the damage you caused will show her you’re truly sorry for what you did.” • Catherine Runyon

How About You?

Has something you’ve done hurt someone else? Throughout the Bible, the principle of making amends is important. Knowing Jesus loves us and forgives us for our sin can help us admit our wrongs to others and make amends for them. If you’ve wronged someone—even unintentionally—do all you can to make it right.

Today’s Key Verse:
Luke 19:8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord…“If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Make things right