Week 4

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So this week’s Focal Passage might cause some confusion. As you read this remember that Jesus again is focusing on the heart of a person (like he did back in chapter 13). We learned last week that there are 4 soils that represent 4 types of hearts and their capacity to hear and understand God’s Word. So ask yourself, what kind of heart does the “wicked servant” have? According to Jesus, the “good” heart is one that will hear and understand what Jesus is saying about forgiveness in this parable. Later in Ephesians 4:32 Paul says it this way, “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Yes, this isn’t easy to do…but it’s something we can do if we truly experience (and understand) the grace of God extended to us in Jesus.

Bitterness is an unforgiving, resentful, antagonistic spirit toward someone for being wronged. In this lab, John Piper shows how we can fight bitterness by believing that God will vindicate his people and see that every wrong is justly dealt with. For the study guide, visit: https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/why-we-hold-on-to-bitterness #LookAtTheBook