Forgiveness Is For Everyone
Scripture Matt 18: 21-35 “Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied,“but seventy times seven! 23“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. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 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. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 “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. 29 “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. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 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. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Introduction: After Jesus taught on reconciliation and unity, Peter came asking, just how far should forgiveness extend. The Lord had just spoken of the duty of seeking reconciliation with those who trespassed against us (Mt 18:15-17), and there seems to have been some doubt in the mind of Peter how far this principle should be carried. Peter generously offered until seven times? It is stated that the Jewish Talmud that forgiveness must be extended to one who confessed his fault, but this was limited to three repetitions of the offence. Peter had an idea that the Savior's rule would insist on still greater forbearance. The number seven came into his mind.
All of us have been wounded in some way by another person, mentally, emotionally, or even physically. Yet, forgiveness is a powerful tool to help us experience a greater degree of joy and freedom. While life can be filled with painful events and tragedies, we can rebound and move on quickly from life’s even most difficult situations when we learn to practice forgiveness. What does the parable of the unforgiving servant teach us? Jesus taught that God desires forgiveness and reconciliation most. Though perfect in all His ways, God is willing to forgive every repentant sinner. He forgave a debt we cannot repay, so we should be ready to forgive others. The servant who did not forgive in the arable was tortured. Perhaps Jesus is referring to the way a person feels when they cannot forgive. They remain bitter and resentful and end up suffering the most.
Of all the discipline given by Jesus, forgiveness maybe the most difficult. Forgiveness require every person to accept individual responsibility: Then we must accept what has happened and decide to show yourself compassionate. We must recognize the Remorse: Use guilt and remorse as a gateway to positive behavior change. Finally we must desire restoration: Make amends with whomever we're forgiving, even if it's yourself. Accept and offer renewal as we learn from the experience and grow as a person. Forgiveness is hard even for Christian. If you’re like most people, the very thought of forgiving an enemy probably makes you feel uneasy. This doesn’t make you a bad person—it just makes you human.
Forgiveness is difficult because its human nature to protect ourselves, to avoid being exploited or used by others, so if we can’t hit back, we simply avoid the other person. Therefore, any discussion of forgiveness must begin by thinking carefully about the desire for retaliation. Retaliation is basically to even the score by reversing any gains that might be had by the aggressor. Other might seek revenge. Revenge is an extreme form of retaliation that is meant to cause suffering and not reconciliation. Revenge is driven by the perception (real or not) that that person can never change. That person is stubborn, whose mind cannot be turned, and whose behavior must be stopped. Even though forgiveness is hard, even for Christians, Jesus gives Peter some reasons to forgive a repentant person, not just three times or seven times, but seven times seventy. Forgiveness is for everyone because everyone is indebted.
1. Everyone is indebted and at Some Point Needs Forgiveness. Matt 18:23 “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.”
The ideal of the text is only the king is debt-free. All the servants were indebted to him. All may owe the same amount, but they owe just the same. I know many feel they don’t anything to anyone but no one can make it alone. If you have been help, we owe a debt of service to others. Because we know how difficult life can be, we ought to show compassion to others. In the kingdom you will meet needy people who may deceive or mistreat you on purpose or by accident. When it happen you will have an opportunity to respond. You may offend or injure someone else and you will need forgiveness. Just understanding that should cause us to be compassionate towards others, but especially to brothers and sisters. Ga 6:7-10 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Forgiveness is for everyone because everyone is indebted. More than that every believers has been forgiven.
2. Every Believer Who Has been Forgiven should Practice Forgiveness. Matt 18:24 “In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 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. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.”
One who experiences release and pardon, who has been forgiven a great debt should be patient and forgiving to others. The parable said the man could not pay his debt, but when he pleaded for mercy, his debt was forgiven. Believers can be good at forgiveness because they have been forgiven for so much. They know the guilt and shame. They have felt the disgrace, so when it is in their power, they ought to forgive and be willing to forgive. The unforgiving debtor in the parable became more aggressive and abusive of a fellow debt. He sought retaliation and revenge. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. Though he had receive great mercy he failed to show any. Forgiveness is for everyone because everyone is indebted and needs forgiveness, more than that every believers who has been forgiven should practice forgiveness be good at it.
3. Every one who Offers Forgiveness to Others Receives Forgiveness. Matt. 18:31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 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. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’
God forgave every believer of a debt none could pay. We were set free for sin and shame. We are accepted in the beloved. Since God forgave us, we freely offer forgiveness to every repentant sinners. When others witness our mercy and compassion, they will forgive us. The master ask, Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ If he had been willing to offer forgiveness to his fellow servant, he could enjoyed unlimited freedom and blessing. Unforgiveness robs us of our freedom and peace of mind. The word “forgive” means release! The release in necessary for both parties. As we release others, we free ourselves. Forgiveness is hard because many like to hold onto hurts, nurse the bitterness and try use it against others. This is opposed to the heart of God and leads to misery, not freedom. Forgiveness might not be easy, but it is worth it and is best for us in our relationships with others and especially with God. Often the hardest person to forgive is yourself. You are so hurt, yet you realize that you are the one to blame. You are the one who did it to yourself by refusing to
forgive.
4. Forgiveness is a Choice. Matt 18:35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Forgiveness is a choice. The reason the price of un-forgiveness is severe is because we all can forgive. God forgives us, We forgive others, Others forgive us and We forgive ourselves by choice, by an act of the will. We might choose to complain about our pain, mistreatment, about our great injustice, but forgiveness is a choice. Forgiveness is not a feeling. Forgiveness is not pretending you were not hurt. Forgiveness is not condoning what the person did to you. Forgiveness is not trusting the offender. Forgiveness is not relieving the person of responsibility. Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting. Rather, forgiveness means accepting the apology of the repentant brother or sister, letting go of the pain the incident is caused and releasing the offending from any grudge or resentment. We forgive to glorify God and obey his words, to receive His forgiveness and to give ourselves peace of mind, knowing that we will receive forgiveness one day if we ever offend someone else. To emphasize forgiveness is choice, when Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied,“but seventy times seven!
On this journey there will always be occasions to be offended, in one way or another, at one time or another, so stay in the forgiveness mode. In your family, in your church, on your job, stay in the forgiveness mode. Mt 6:14, 15 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
