Zach Is Forgiven

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:23-24; Colossians 3:13

Zach watched helplessly as his ball bounced off his mom’s favorite vase, shattering it into many pieces. He stared in shock at the mess on the floor. His mom had told him never to throw a ball in the house. Now, bits of broken glass covered the entire area. How would he ever get up all the broken pieces?

Mom would be home from work any minute. What should he do? Maybe he could pick the glass up before she came home. Maybe she wouldn’t notice the glass vase was missing off the table. He scratched his head, hoping he could come up with a solution.

“Zach, what happened?” came his mother’s gentle voice from behind him.

Zach spun around. Oh no! She was home already.

Mom’s eagle eyes quickly noticed the vase and the ball. She walked over to Zach with a baffled expression on her face. “Zach, were you playing ball in the house?”

Zach looked around at the broken glass, knowing he should not have been throwing his ball indoors. He knew he had to tell his mom the truth.

“Yes. I’m sorry, Mom,” Zach replied as he stared down at his shoes. “I was trying to be careful.”

“Did you cut yourself?” Mom asked with a worried expression.

“No, I’m okay,” Zach said.

Mom sighed. “I’m so glad you weren’t hurt. You know you shouldn’t play inside with outdoor toys.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I promise I won’t do it again. I feel really bad about the vase.”

Mom gave him a hug and said, “I know you do. I forgive you.”

“Mom, how come you don’t yell at me when I do something bad like some of my friends’ moms?”

“I don’t want to yell at you, Zach. I know you’re sorry for what you did. I just don’t want you to get hurt when you do something you shouldn’t.”

Zach thought for a moment. He grinned, then said, “In the Bible, Jesus forgave others. No matter what they did, if they were sorry, He forgave them.”

“That’s right,” Mom agreed. “And He always forgives us too. If we do something wrong and ask for Jesus to forgive us, He will.”

Zach nodded. “Mom, thank you for being like Jesus.”

They both smiled.

-Julie Hopper-Butler

How About You?

Have you ever made a mistake? Think about a time when you did something you weren’t supposed to do. Were you sorry for it later on? Great news! Jesus forgives us for all our wrongdoings. All we have to do is ask for His forgiveness. No matter what you’ve done, Jesus loves you and will forgive you. Let’s be like Jesus. Follow His example and be willing to forgive.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Forgive like Jesus