A Messiah Who Expects Us to Forgive
Text: Matt. 18:21-35
Introduction
1. Illustration: A pastor finished his message early one Sunday, (and that pastor was not me) and he wanted to check his congregation’s understanding. So he asked, "Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?" There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up, "You have to sin." I suspect we don’t have a problem fulfilling that prerequisite. But Jesus reveals that another prerequisite for God to forgive is our willingness to forgive others.
2. He reminds us that...
a. We are forgiven of much
b. We are to forgive of much
c. Unless we forgive, we won't be forgiven
3. Read Matt. 18:21-35
Proposition: In order to be forgiven we must be willing to forgive.
Transition: We must realize that...
I. We Are Forgiven of Much (21-26).
A. How Often Should I Forgive
1. As Christians we must realize what we once were: sinners saved by grace. As such we must be willing to extend that grace to others.
2. Our text begins with Peter asking the question, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
a. It was Jewish tradition that you must forgive a person three times for the same offense.
b. Because true repentance should involve turning from sin, some later rabbis limited opportunities for forgiveness for a given sin to three times; Peter might have thought his offer of seven times was generous (Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
c. Compared to Jewish tradition, it was generous and no doubt was based on Peter's growing understanding of Jesus' teaching and personal example of compassion and mercy.
d. Realizing that the Lord's graciousness was in marked contrast to the self-centered legalism of the scribes and Pharisees, Peter doubled their narrow limit for forgiveness and added one more time for good measure (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
3. However, Jesus blows Peter's generosity out of the water when he says, “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
a. Peter was still thinking like the scribes and Pharisees and like fallen human nature is always inclined to think.
b. He was thinking in the measurable and limited terms of law, not the immeasurable and unlimited terms of grace.
c. Law keeps count; grace does not.
d. By seventy times seven He did not mean 490.
e. He simply picked up on Peter's number and multiplied it by itself and then by ten, indicating a number that, for all practical purposes, was beyond counting.
f. Record keeping is not to be considered, and a Christian with a forgiving heart thinks nothing about it.
g. He forgives the hundredth offense or the thousandth just as readily and graciously as the first—because that is the way he is forgiven by God.(MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
h. Jesus was saying that the person doing the forgiving will do it as many times as are necessary (Horton, 387)
i. Luke 7:14 (NLT)
Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
4. Jesus then illustrates His point, as He did so often, with a parable. He said, “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars."
a. Jesus introduces the parable by specifically stating that it is about the kingdom of heaven, whose true citizenship includes only believers.
b. In the present parable Jesus presents the attitude of God, the certain king, concerning forgiveness of and by His subjects, the servants (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
c. Undoubtedly the servants of this king were no ordinary servants, but high political officials in charge of large sums of money. It is quite impossible that they were "governors" who supervised the taxation of entire provinces (Horton, 389).
d. In the Geek the literal meaning of the sum of money is "ten thousand talents."
e. Ten thousand is used because it was the largest numerical term in the Greek language it was also used figuratively to represent a vast, uncountable number. In that sense it has the same connotation as the English myriad, which is derived from it.
f. The debt was astronomical. A talent equaled about 6,000 denarii, one of which equal a laborer's wage for a day's work.
g. Today it would be somewhere in the billions of dollars. There was no way he could have ever paid this debt (Horton, 389).
5. Jesus continues saying, "He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt."
a. Because the man in Jesus' parable did not have the means to repay, the king commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
b. The man not only embezzled what belonged to the king but consumed it on himself until nothing was left. That is the state of the bankrupt sinner!
c. The payment to be made from the proceeds of selling his family into servitude and redeeming all his personal possessions would not have paid a fraction of the debt, but it was exacted as a punishment and so the king could get at least a portion of what he was due.
d. By the standards of that day the king in the parable had been gracious just by his not demanding an accounting earlier.
e. In an infinitely greater way God is gracious to the most hardened sinner just in allowing him to go on living. Life itself is a great gift of divine mercy (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
6. The story continues with, “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt."
a. His falling down and prostrating himself was more than the usual homage given a king.
b. It was an act of total submission, of throwing himself completely on the monarch's mercy,
c. The man was guilty, condemned, devastated, and genuinely penitent. He had no defense and offered none.
d. As the man lay broken at the feet of the king, he did not realize that he could never have repaid the debt no matter how long and hard he worked.
e. Impossible as the prospect was, he nevertheless begged for a chance to make good on his debt. His understanding was faulty but his attitude was right (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
f. The king well knew that, despite his good intentions, the servant could never do what he promised; but he did not chide the man for his foolish and worthless offer.
g. Rather, the king of that servant felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. Here is an extraordinary picture of God's compassionate love for the genuinely repentant sinner who throws himself on His mercy.
h. The king forgave this servant for one reason and one reason only, compassion. He felt not only pity, but a genuine love and affection that understood how the servant felt.
i. He wanted to keep the servant as one of his own rather than selling him and losing him. He looked at him as a person and not just money that was owed him (Horton, 391).
B. Canceled Debt
1. Illustration: Jerry Bridges rightly said, "Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace."
2. The first thing that all Christians must remember is that we are all sinners.
a. Ephesians 2:1-3 (NLT)
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
b. We must remember who we were and where we have come from.
c. We were sinners and rebellious enemies of God.
d. We were lost and in darkness without hope of ever being right with God.
e. We were destined for death.
f. We were destined for judgment.
g. We were destined for hell.
3. The second thing that all Christians must remember is the only that changed the first thing is the grace of God.
a. Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT)
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,
5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
b. It is only by the grace of God that we are not still under judgment.
c. It is only by the grace of God that we are not still lost and in darkness.
d. It is only by the grace of God that we are not still destined for hell.
e. It is only by the grace of God that we are saved.
f. It is only by the grace of God!
4. The third thing that all Christians must remember is that the second thing is a gift from God.
a. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
b. We couldn't earn it.
c. We couldn't buy it.
d. We couldn't deserve it.
e. We could only receive it.
f. So we can never boast about it!
g. Most of all we can never forget it!
Transition: Because we have been forgiven much...
II. We Are to Forgive Much (28-30).
A. Owed Him a Few Thousand Dollars
1. Unfortunately, Christians all too often forget where they have come from.
2. Jesus illustrates this as the story continues. He says, “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment."
a. One hundred denarii represented one hundred days of a common worker’s wages, which would be a small sum, after he had finished his accounting with the king.
b. It was also a ridiculously minuscule sum compared to what the first servant had owed the king.
c. But apparently the forgiven servant, instead of internalizing the principle of grace, had decided to become ruthlessly efficient in his exacting of debts.
d. Such extreme actions as choking are reported of angry creditors elsewhere in antiquity as well (Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
e. Despite the fact that first servant had been forgiven of an astronomical debt he was unwilling to forgive a fellow servant who could have easily paid the debt in time.
f. His external circumstances had changed but his heart had not.
g. He showed no compassion on his fellow servant.
h. He didn't see him as a part of the same establishment, but as an object to get back something for himself, even if he had to choke it out of him.
i. It indicates that he didn't value his relationship with the other servant (Horton, 391).
3. Now just as he had with the king, “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded."
a. The subordinate official made his plea with exactly the same words his creditor had used before the king: "Have patience with me and I will repay you" .
b. His fellow servant used the exact some words that he had with the king.
c. That should have shocked the forgiven slave's memory into a right response, but those familiar words evoked no sympathetic reaction in him, even though the debt he had been forgiven would have been un-repayable in a lifetime, whereas the debt owed to him was payable by a few months' work. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
4. However, he "...wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full."
a. Even to ask for repayment after he himself had been forgiven so much was grossly insensitive; to abuse and imprison his debtor for failure to repay so little was, in the words of one commentator, a "moral monstrosity" to say nothing of foolishness, because in prison the man could not earn money to pay his debt.
b. Someone in prison could not pay back what he owed (Matthew 18:34), unless friends came to his aid with the requisite funds (Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
c. Such un-forgiveness not only is morally unthinkable and bizarre but irrational (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
d. He had forgotten about grace, mercy and compassion.
B. Obligated to Forgive
1. Illustration: "At last I understood: in the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God’s hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy (Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, 93).
2. We are to forgive as we have been forgiven.
a. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
b. We have been for given of much, so how can we withhold forgiveness of so little?
c. How can we not forgive others when Jesus has forgiven us of so much?
d. How can we forget where we have come from and the sins of which we have been forgiven?
3. We need to be like Jesus who forgave from the cross.
a. Luke 23:34 (NLT)
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing...”
b. Jesus forgave those who were killing him.
c. Jesus forgave those who falsely accused him.
d. Jesus forgave those who mocked him.
e. Jesus forgave those who beat him.
f. If Jesus can forgive that much why can't we forgive so little?
4. We should be patient, understanding, and merciful with those who sin against us.
a. Galatians 6:1-2 (NLT)
1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
b. Jesus is patient with us.
c. Jesus is understanding with us.
d. Jesus is compassionate with us.
e. Jesus is merciful toward us.
f. How can we not do the same for others?
Transition: Above all we must understand...
III. Unless We Forgive, We Won't Be Forgiven (31-35).
A. If You Refuse to Forgive
1. Jesus now finishes the story with what will happen to us if fail to forgive.
2. He said, “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened."
a. Knowing of the great debt the first servant had been forgiven by the king and his subsequent treatment of his fellow servant, the other servants were understandably indignant that this man would, in effect, place himself above the king by acting as if he had a right to be less gracious and merciful than his sovereign.
b. Therefore, when they saw what had happened, they were very upset and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.
c. Christians should be deeply grieved when a fellow believer is unforgiving, because his hardness of heart not only tends to drive the offender deeper into sin but also causes dissension and division within the church, tarnishes its testimony before the world, and deeply grieves the Lord Himself (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
d. Notice that Jesus called the other servants "other servants."
e. This spoke not only to their relationship to one another but also to their relationship to the king.
f. The unforgiving servant had not only broken his relationship with his fellow servants but also with the king (Horton, 393).
3. Jesus says, "Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’"
a. The servant is called evil not because of his formerly great indebtedness but because of his unwillingness to forgive.
b. The obligation to forgive was not a natural one but one that should have resulted by the example of the king.
c. Here is the point of the parable: God is unimaginably merciful, but he shows no mercy to those who are themselves unmerciful (Horton, 395).
d. The sin of unforgiveness is in some ways even more evil in a believer, because he has infinitely greater motivation and power to be forgiving than does a person who has never experienced God's redeeming grace.
e. How can a person accept God's mercy for all his sin, an unpayable debt, and then not forgive some small offense committed against himself (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23)?
4. As a result, "the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt."
a. On the earlier occasion, the first slave's plea for patience had moved the king to compassion and forgiveness. Now the man's refusal to forgive his fellow servant moved the king to anger (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
b. Jewish law did not permit torture, but Jewish people knew that Gentile kings (as well as Herod) practiced it.
c. Because this servant had fallen from political favor, he would have no allies who would dare come to his aid; and even if he had, given the sum he owed, his situation would have remained hopeless. He would never be released (Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament).
5. Jesus, the master storyteller, then applies the truth of the story and says, “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
a. Being forgiven by God must lead - indeed requires - one to have a forgiving attitude toward others.
b. If this attitude does not develop, the unmerciful servant incurs judgment again (Horton, 395).
c. If we want mercy and cleansing from the Lord for our repeated sins against Him, we must be willing, from our heart, to offer mercy to fellow Christians even for repeated offenses against us.
d. Genuine forgiveness that is from your heart is trusting forgiveness, forgiveness that sees the offending brother just as he was before he sinned.
e. If we truly forgive a person, we trust him just as we trusted him before.
f. We do not hold the offense over his head or even in our minds, thinking that he will likely sin again.
g. Heart forgiveness is not possible for the believer in his own power.
h. Genuine forgiveness is not natural but supernatural and is possible only as the indwelling Holy Spirit empowers.
i. Only as we "walk by the Spirit" are we able not to "carry out the desire of the flesh," which, among other things, is to hold a grudge rather than forgive (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23).
B. Forgive and You Shall Be Forgiven
1. Illustration: Two little brothers, Harry and James, had finished supper and were playing until bedtime. Somehow, Harry hit James with a stick, and tears and bitter words followed. Charges and accusations were still being exchanged as their mother prepared them for bed. She said, "Now boys, what would happen if either of you died tonight and you never had the opportunity again for forgive one another?" James spoke up, "Well, OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if we’re both alive in the morning, he’d better look out."
2. If we do not forgive we will not be forgiven.
a. Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
b. It is a sobering thought; if we do not forgive others we will not be forgiven.
c. If we do not offer to others the same patience and compassion that Christ has shown to us we will face judgment.
d. If we do not forgive as we have been forgiven it is we who will face God's wrath.
3. We must also be careful of judging others.
a. Luke 6:37 (NLT)
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.
b. If we are not patient with others, Jesus will not be patient with us.
c. If we are not compassionate with others, Jesus will not be compassionate with us.
d. If judge based not on facts but on Hersey and speculation, so will we be judged.
4. God will treat us as we treat others.
a. James 2:13 (NLT)
There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
b. If we forgive them, He will forgive us.
c. If we do not judge them, He will not judge us.
d. If we show compassion on them, He will show compassion on us.
Transition: Do you really want to take the chance of not being forgiven for not forgiving others?
Conclusion
1. Jesus reminds us that...
We are forgiven of much
We are to forgive of much
Unless we forgive, we won't be forgiven
2. Have you forgotten where you've come from?
3. Have you forgotten about grace?
4. Do you want to risk not being forgiven?
5. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
