Matthew 18.21-35
I know I often start each sermon with putting a passage in its context – but this morning it is vital that you understand the context of these verses if you are in any way to understand their importance for us as a church here at Holy Trinity. Chapter 18 of Matthew contains 7 things which are vital to the life and vitality of a Christian church community. Verses 1-4 deal with humility, verses 5-6 welcoming people, verses 7-9 wholeheartedness, verses 10-14 pastoral care, verses 15-20 openness, verses 21-22 forgiveness and verses 23-35 freedom from resentment. Each of these has to do with personal and interpersonal relationships and Jesus sets them firmly within the context of a church community. Hence his reference to ‘the little ones’ or ‘brothers’ when dealing with such issues. If we had time we could go through each of these things and examine ourselves and Holy Trinity concerning them, but we don’t have time this morning and so we will deal with the issue of forgiveness.
Forgiveness – verses 21-35.
Don’t you just love Peter in the gospels? I love his openness and his impulsive speaking – even when it gets him into bother. Jesus has just spoken to them how to deal with difficulties in relationships within the church (verses 15-20) and Peter now wants some answers concerning forgiveness. Poor Andrew having to listen to his brother asking such a question. At the time of Christ rabbi’s said that you were to forgive your brother 3 times and Peter probably thinks he is being magnanimous by saying 7 times. How could Jesus not fail to be impressed by the generosity and graciousness of Peter here? Yet Peter is shocked by Jesus’ answer – 77 times. I can imagine Peter’s face flushing with embarrassment at this answer from Jesus. Outrageous grace and mercy is spoken of here by Jesus. Peter thought he was offering the moon in saying 7 but Jesus shows the outrageous nature of forgiveness in the kingdom of God by stating 77 times. Now can I say to you if you get hung up on counting the numbers here you will have missed the whole point of what Jesus is teaching Peter, the disciples and us. Jesus is saying that forgiveness is a hallmark of authentic kingdom life. The Christian life is born in forgiveness and such forgiveness must characterise all who claim to be followers of Jesus. Jesus tells Peter you must go on and on forgiving – constantly forgiving – just as God constantly forgives you. Being a forgiven person Peter you must become a forgiving person. Let me repeat that for you – being a forgiven person you must become a forgiving person. To be able to say ‘I forgive you’ is not enough – we must go on forgiving whenever we feel that sense grievance arising in our hearts again. You see forgiveness is really a matter of our wills – more than a feeling – in fact feelings are not the issue at all – our wills are the issue – and we really do need to take that on board this morning. Your heart will eventually catch up with your head as we reiterate and repeat forgiveness until it becomes a very part of us and manifests itself to all. The supreme example of such forgiveness is Christ on the cross – towards those crucifying him and towards us whose sins put him there to be crucified. You know an unwillingness to forgive is the cause of many broken relationships and can I say, as humbly as it is possible to say, to claim to be a Christian and to not forgive someone is incompatible.
The unmerciful servant - verses 23-35.
Jesus follows on from his instructions concerning forgiveness with a parable about an unmerciful servant. The story is meant to show clearly to Peter and the other disciples, and us, how much God has forgiven him, them, and us and how trifling are the things which we hold on to. Jesus tells them of a servant who owed a vast sum of money, in fact the amount mentioned no one could repay. The amount is more than the money set aside by David to build the temple – that puts it into perspective. The point is that the debt owed to the king is incalculable and there is no way that the servant could repay that amount. When challenged by the king he begs for time to repay, even though there is no possibility to repay. Against all expectations the king forgives him the debt when he asks for mercy. Astonishing grace. Outrageous grace. Outlandish mercy is shown to this man. He should be thankful but as we read on in the story we realise that this man has not learnt forgiveness despite being forgiven so much. He should have behaved towards others with the same generosity as he had just experienced but he does not. In fact he catches a fellow-servant who owes him a pittance in comparison what he owed to the king. He demands the last penny from this man and throws him into prison until the debt is paid. So horrified are the other servants at his treatment of this fellow-servant that they go and tell the king – and the greek says they tell him in great detail what the man has done. Look at the kings response in verse 32ff. The king calls the man ‘wicked’ and that is exactly what he is. It is a wicked sinful thing to be forgiven so much and to refuse forgiveness, for so little, to another. The king turns the man over to the ‘torturers’ until his debt is repaid – but we already know from the start of the parable that it is impossible to repay such a debt – the meaning is obvious to Peter – eternity is in question here. Can I point out to you that ‘torture’ here speaks of ‘spiritual torment’ and that is exactly what you are bringing upon yourself by refusing to forgive.
To drive the point home Jesus speaks – read verse 35. These are very sobering words to Peter, who you remember began this conversation by asking how many times he had to forgive his brother (Andrew) and thought he was being generous with suggesting 7 times. Your relationship with God is affected by your relationships to and with other people, please never forget that.
Jesus tells Peter, and the other disciples, if you refuse to forgive others you are closing off God’s forgiveness towards you. This is not because we earn God’s forgiveness by forgiving others but our forgiveness of others is a natural consequence of his forgiveness to us. When Peter understands and appreciates the undeserved forgiveness he experiences and enjoys from God in Christ then he will be moved to forgive others, including Andrew his brother. If we have a problem with the latter it is because we have a problem with the former – in that we do not appreciate the nature and extent of our own sins and the cost of their forgiveness. When I understand the incalculableness of my sins and the debt I cannot pay to God – and when I hear God say ‘as far as the east is from the west is how far I have removed your sin’ or ‘though your sins are like scarlet they are now white as snow’ – all because He forgives me in Christ – then I will get a correct perspective and understanding on forgiving others. Colossians 3.13 is a verse we should all memorise and repeat to ourselves everyday. By forgiving others we find freedom in Christ.
Naturally we may find it hard to forgive. Peter did, hence his question to Jesus. Holding on to hurts, refusing to forgive is a deadly disease in a life and in the life of a congregation. It certainly has severe spiritual consequences. Our relationship with God is strangulated by refusing to forgive others. “Is there someone you will not forgive?” is one of the most spiritually revealing questions you can ask yourself or anyone else. You see if you refuse to forgive you are placing yourself in a place of bondage, spiritual, mental and emotional bondage – which may well have physical manifestations also. By refusing to forgive you give the past a foothold in the present and you allow the pain of the past to continue to dominate and dictate the present. By staying angry and holding on to the debt who are you hurting? Primarily you are hurting yourself first and foremost.
In finishing let me answer the question “What is forgiveness?” It is not forgetting – Jeremiah 31.34 – read - tells us that God chooses to remember our sins no more – that is not the same as forgetting. Forgiveness is a conscious decision not to remember and not to bring the past into the present to be used against someone.
It is not tolerating sin – it is not inconsistent with forgiveness not to remain in a situation where sin is being committed. For example an abusive relationship – it is right to forgive and it is equally right to remove yourself from that relationship so that the sin does not continue.
Forgiveness also means we all have to live with the consequences of our actions and the actions of other people. Christ forgave us by taking upon himself the consequences of our sinful actions – death on the cross. He made that conscious choice and we are called to do the same.
Finally can I remind you of the Lord’s prayer which we pray together each week here in HT – forgive us our trespasses (or sins) as we forgive those who trespass against us. Now – as yourself ‘Did I mean it?’ It has implications for your own relationship with God and your spiritual growth. It has implications for your relationship with other people, not least here in HT. It is foundational to the spiritual health of this congregation and the truth is this morning refusing to forgive will be at the root of bitterness and resentment in your life and in the life of this congregation. Only you this morning know how to apply this passage to your life and only you can do it.
Amen.
