Debt to Pay

Each week as we come together for communion, I find myself asking, why was the cross necessary? What it all comes down to is the nature of forgiveness. Before you can forgive, there must be a debt owed.
In the 18th chapter of Matthew, Jesus is explaining to Peter forgiveness. Jesus tells a parable where a master is owed a great debt by a servant. The debt is more that the servant can repay in a lifetime. At first, the master is going to sell the servant, his family and all their possessions to reclaim some of his losses, but the servant begs for mercy and promises he will repay the debt. The Master, knowing the debt is too big to be repaid, forgives it.
When our debt is forgiven, it does not go away. Someone has to pay it.
Our debt is sin and the wage of sin is death. Christ, knowing we can never repay the debt of our sin, took the burden on himself.
As Paul states in Romans 5:8, While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ did not just make our debt go away by forgiving it. He carried our debt on his back and paid it in full on a cross by dying. He paid the cost in full. Because of the cross, we have the promise of eternal life with Christ if we believe in and follow him. We need to show mercy to those who have hurt us. We need to learn how to forgive.
We are reminded of Christ mercy each time we join together in communion.