Look and Listen! Forgive One Another!!!
Matthew 18:21-35 ESV
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how
often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as
seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times,
but seventy-seven times.
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a
king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began
to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And
since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife
and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the
servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I
will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that
servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same
servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a
hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay
what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have
patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in
prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had
taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their
master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to
him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with
me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had
mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the
jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father
will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your
heart.”
It’s funny. We just came off of a few verses that unfolded a
way that many churches handle sinners in their midst. Many congregations seem
to take the process outlined in 18:15-20 as a way to handle a person that is
difficult to deal with.
Matthew 18:15-17 ESV
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him
his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you
have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two
others along with you, that every charge may be established by the
evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to
them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the
church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
The congregation will take the brother like follows:
1.
One on one tell the sinner his fault
2.
If he listens --- good --- if not
3.
Take two or three and tell the sinner his fault
4.
If he listens --- good --- if not
5.
Take the sinner and tell his fault before the
congregation
6.
If he listens --- good --- if not
7.
Cast the sinner out of the congregation
I’m not sure this is the process that Jesus wants his
disciples to take.
We tend to try to make a procedure out of something about
sin. I can’t help but to recall the fact that we are all sinners. Sure,
sometimes, I’m aware of my sin. Sometimes when my sin is pointed out to me, I
listen. But if I don’t listen? Is it a one, two, three, process and you’re out?
I don’t think so. So, why would I take a process as stated above, that many
congregations follow to the letter, and apply it to my own dealings with
another person?
I hear a strong message in the Gospel Lesson of Matthew
18:21-35, telling me NO!, that’s not the way to deal with one another. It’s not
a one, two, three, process and you’re out. The process may be one, two, three, times
infinity with my sinful brother and my sinful self. I hear in this passage,
loud and clear, that God wants me to forgive my brother countless times.
Unlimited forgiveness…
God is teaching me some heavenly math. The heavenly math of
forgiveness does not come from my head. The heavenly math of forgiveness comes
from God’s heart to my heart, and teaches me how I should forgive my sinful
brother.
Let’s look at Jesus as our example to begin with. Jesus’ way
of forgiveness works. But, Jesus’ way of forgiveness came at the cost of his
death. Jesus forgave us while he was still on the cross, bleeding, suffering
and dying.
Luke 23:34a ESV
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do.”
Jesus forgave us even
as we were still intent on his death. So, the lesson seems to be that we, too, need
to forgive our brother an infinite amount, just as Jesus forgave humanity an
infinite amount.
In the Lord’s Prayer we pray and ask God, to forgive us our
sins as we forgive those who sin against us. From Luther’s Explanation to the
Fifth Petition, I learn that we are asking God not to hold my sin against me or
deny my prayers because of my sin. I know that I don’t deserve God’s
forgiveness. I have not earned God’s forgiveness; nor could I ever earn God’s
forgiveness by anything that I could ever do. On account of my sin, I deserve
nothing but punishment. But, in this Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, I
seek God’s forgiveness through his grace of love. So… I too must be willing to gladly
forgive a brother who sins against me.
A parable is told here as well. A king wanted to settle accounts
with his servants. One servant owed the king what would be, in today’s dollars,
about $100,000,000. The king forgave the servant. Then, the forgiven servant
went out to one of his brothers that owed him some money, a mere $165 in today’s
dollars. And the forgiven servant would not forgive the debt of his fellow servant,
having his brother thrown into prison. So, what’s this all about?
The sins we men commit against each other is trivial
compared to the crimes we commit against God. God forgives you, and I, so
freely… so, I need to “Cut it out!” I need to be willing to forgive my brother
so freely as well. Forgive each other! Look! See! Jesus freely forgave me and
you upon that cross for the sin we committed on our own.
As disciples, we are called to forgive one another from the
heart. We don’t forgive for show, or forgive to think that we will look better
in the eyes of God. No, we forgive freely because Jesus has shown his disciples
how to forgive one another. An unforgiving man is not in a position of
forgiveness before God. But the man forgiven by God will forgive his brothers
as a gracious response to what God has done in forgiving their own sin.
God is always ready to forgive. But, if my heart is unforgiving,
then, I have shut God out. If I am unforgiving, I have closed out God’s
forgiveness and God himself. And, when I don’t forgive my brother, I put myself
away in jail away from God by my own very works.
So, FORGIVE one another… however many times are needed… an
infinity amount of forgiveness.
Lord, forgive me and make me part of your plan. Remove my
sin, I pray. I am yours that I may live and die for you. And teach me through the
grace and love and compassion of your Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior, to forgive
my brother as many times as you forgive me… today… tomorrow… and forever. ---
Amen
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