Remember
the
Duck!
Matthew 6:9-15
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
"’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins.
(NIV)
Everyone needs FORGIVENESS
and everyone needs to BE FORGIVING!
Does someone REMEMBER
something about you that you wish
WOULD BE FORGOTTEN?
Doesn’t someone OWE you something?
An apology?
An explanation?
A thank you?
Matthew 6:12
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
When we don’t forgive, those people who are indebted to us have dipped their hands into our pocket and robbed us of more than they owe!
Jesus does not question the reality of your wounds. He does not doubt that you’ve been hurt…even sinned against. The issue is the existence of pain; the issue is the treatment of pain. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT YOUR DEBTS?
How to Really Forgive and Really Be Forgiven:
Here are some choices we must make…
1) REVENGE or RELEASE
If you are out to settle the score, you’ll never rest.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
(NIV)
To forgive means to RELEASE without PAY.
2) RETALIATE or RELINQUISH
Forgiveness is costly, but so is GETTING EVEN.
Who is more the prisoner – the guard or the convict?
The convict is housed in a 10 X 12 cell which includes a toilet, a bed, and sometimes a table and chair. The convict get exercise time on a regular basis, three meals a day, opportunities to study, read, watch TV, etc.
The guard on the other hand sits in a 4 X 5 guard house overlooking the prison yard and must constantly watch, no time for rest or relaxation.
The same holds true of those who refuse to relinquish the debt.
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. ’Be patient with me,’ he begged, ’and I will pay back everything.’
27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ’Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ’Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 "Then the master called the servant in. ’You wicked servant,’ he said, ’I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
(NIV)
Those who forgive can hold NO GRUDGES; they can harbor only GRACE for those who they have forgiven.
3) RESENT or REFUSE TO REMEMBER.
Psalm 103:8-14
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger,
abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
(NIV)
TRUE FORGIVENESS MEANS
I RELEASE the debtor;
I RELINQUISH my right of retaliation;
I REMEMBER their sins no more!
Richard Hoefler tells a story of how sin enslaves and forgiveness frees:
A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead. The little boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.
At lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.”
But Sally said, “Jimmy told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you, Jimmy?” And she whispered in his ear, “Remember the Duck!” So Jimmy did the dishes.
Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper.” Sally smiled and said, “That’s all taken care of. Jimmy wants to do it!” Again she whispered in Jimmy’s ear, “Remember the Duck!” Jimmy stayed, while Sally went fishing.
After several days of Jimmy doing both his chores and Sally’s, finally he couldn’t stand it! He confessed to Grandma that he had killed her duck.
“I know, Jimmy,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”
