The Prize Cake

Bible Reading: Matthew 18:21-35

Rowan grinned as her brother popped a big bite of cake into his mouth. “Wow! Your cakes are getting better and better!” Colby said.

Rowan and her mother were each going to enter a cake in the competition at the county fair—Rowan in the Young Bakers division, and her mother in the Experienced Bakers division. Rowan wanted her cake to be perfect, and she had made so many practice cakes that the whole family was tired of them—except Colby.

One day, Rowan came into the kitchen just as Colby was enjoying the last bite of a big piece of cake. “Colby! What are you doing? That’s my cake for the fair! You’ve ruined it!”

“Oh no!” said Colby. “This is the cake for the fair? The real thing?”

“Yes, it’s the real thing!” Rowan’s voice was shaking with anger. “I finished frosting it just a few minutes ago!”

“I’m so sorry!” said Colby. “I thought this was a cake you’d want me to test. Do you have time to bake another one? What can I do to help?”

“Nothing! I’ll have to start all over, and I’ll never forgive you!” said Rowan. “Never!” She glared at her brother. “Get out of here!” she demanded as she got out her recipe.

Rowan’s second cake was cooling on the counter when she came in from outside, slamming the door behind her. “Rowan! My cake!” said Mom. “It’s baking, and slamming the door could make it fall!”

“Your cake for the fair?” Rowan asked in horror. “I didn’t know it was in the oven!” She opened the oven door and peeked in. To her dismay, she saw that the center of the cake had caved in. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she said.

Mom sighed. “Well, I guess you’d like me to forgive you, right? Like you forgave Colby?” Mom raised her eyebrows at Rowan. “He told me what happened.”

“I…uh..” Rowan sighed. “I know I should have forgiven him.”

“Yes,” Mom said. “We always need to remember how much we’ve been forgiven by God, who sent His own Son to die for our sins. How can we not forgive others when God has forgiven us for all the ways we’ve sinned against Him?”

Rowan nodded. “I’ll go find Colby.” She smiled. “And thanks for forgiving me!” – Bernard Palmer

How About You?

Is there someone you need to forgive? When you trusted in Jesus, He forgave your sin and made you His child. He also forgives when you sin now and confess it to Him. Aren’t you glad He graciously forgives and doesn’t hold grudges? If you’re tempted to hold a grudge, talk to Jesus about it. Then depend on Him to help you forgive others the way He’s forgiven you.

Today’s Key Verse: Ephesians 4:32 Forgive other people just as God forgave you because of Christ’s death on the cross. (NLV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Forgive others