Introduction

Hello Church! Today we are talking about forgiveness and mercy in the kingdom of God. Forgiveness and mercy are very important to God. How do I know this? Because Jesus said so! Forgiveness and mercy are not natural reactions when we get wronged or hurt. But they are core values in Jesus’ kingdom.

Have you ever been cut-off in traffic? Have you ever messaged someone and they didn’t reply? Have you ever left a voicemail for someone and they never returned your call? My reflexive response in those situations is not forgiveness and mercy. How about you? When you get cut off in traffic, how do you respond? When you send a text and don’t get a reply, what do you say to yourself? When someone doesn’t return you call, what do you do?

Now let’s turn the tables a bit! Have YOU ever cut-off someone in traffic? Have YOU ever read a text, got busy, and forgot to reply? Have YOU ever had a voicemail slip through the cracks and failed to make a callback? Of course you’ve done those things! You’re human and you make mistakes! Let’s ask some harder questions.

Have you ever had someone betray your trust? Have you ever discovered that someone gossiped about you? Have you ever been cheated out of something? I don’t know about you, but my reflexive response is not forgiveness and mercy. I want justice. Sometimes vengeance. I want to get even. I want payback! How about you?

Let’s turn the tables again. Have YOU ever betrayed someone’s trust? Have YOU ever gossiped about someone else? Have YOU cheated someone else? Very often we want mercy for ourselves but justice for others. “Mercy for me but not for thee!” is our unspoken motto. We judge ourselves by our best intentions and others by their worst actions. This is a double-standard.

Very often we want mercy for ourselves but justice for others. “Mercy for me but not for thee!” is our unspoken motto.

Main Teaching

Jesus reveals a God of mercy and forgiveness. Right away in this passage we see that Jesus reveals to humanity a God of mercy and forgiveness and not one of anger and retribution. Jesus had just finished explaining to the disciples how to handle situations where someone sins against you (see Matthew 18:15-17). He said, first go directly to that person and handle it one-to-one. If that doesn’t work —although it usually does— then take several others with you. And if that doesn’t work, bring them in front of the community. (Matthew 18:15-17).

This leads to Peter’s question: “How many times should I forgive someone who sins against me?” (18:21). It’s a great question! Peter wanted a concrete answer. How many times should we forgive someone? One time? Five times? Seven times? Peter was asking, “How long do I put up with someone? When can I justify unforgiveness?”

Jesus’ answer blew his mind. And it should blow our minds, too! Jesus answered, “Seventy-seven times” (18:22). Seventy-seven times!? That’s a ridiculous answer.

Jesus is not being literal here, but symbolic. We have to be careful when we read the words of Jesus — actually when we read throughout the New Testament — not to take things literally that were meant to be symbolic. In this answer, Jesus is emphasizing that we must be limitless and boundless when it comes to forgiving others. We must be ready to forgive others repeatedly, no matter how many times they wrong us or sin against us.

Doesn’t that seem a bit unrealistic, or maybe even irresponsible? Maybe! But here’s the truth: forgiveness and mercy are central to God’s nature of self-giving love ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium