FORGIVING

10-13-24

Forgiving

Matthew 18:21–35 (ESV)

²¹Then 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?” ²²Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. ²³“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵And 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. ²⁶So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸But 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.’ ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹When 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. ³²Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Taking time to ponder…

• Context: A conversation with the disciples
  • Who is the greatest?
    • The one who is humble
  • Temptations to sin
    • Woe to those who
    • Take drastic measures to avoid temptation
  • Parable of the lost sheep
    • Bringing the wandering member of the body back to the house
  • If your brother sins against you
    • Matthew 18 principle of conflict resolution
      • Go to your brother
      • If that doesn’t work, bring along
      • If that doesn’t work, bring the matter to the
      • If that doesn’t work they cannot be a part of the fellowship
• Then Peter asks his question: “Lord, how often… As many as seven times?”
• Jesus’ setup: “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Genesis 4:24 (ESV)

²⁴If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

• The parable lends us some perspective
  • The comparison of debts:
    • Denarii = 1 day labor
    • 6000 Denarii = 1 Talent
    • 100 Denarii = 20 weeks of labor (5 day workweek) a little less than 5 months
    • 1 Talent = A little over 23 years of labor (5 day workweek)
    • 10,000 Talents ~ 230,000 years of labor (5 day workweek)
  • The 2^nd servant was in the wrong towards the first, but it was possible to make it right.
  • The 1^st servant was in the wrong towards the Lord, but could never have paid his debt.
    
  • Jesus is quite clear, that we are the first servant
    • Our salvation is somehow linked to our

³⁵So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Matthew 6:9–15 (ESV)
⁹Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread, ¹²and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ¹⁴For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

• A posture of the
  • Legalism…
    • Just wait for mistake 78 my friend!

Romans 12:19–21 (ESV)
¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

• • • They must seek my forgiveness, otherwise I can , be resentful, be , and malign them for their ill deeds to anyone who asks!

Ephesians 4:31–32 (ESV)
³¹Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³²Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

• • • They must be … and I will decide what that looks like…

1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)
⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

• • Don’t read what wasn’t written…
    • Forgive and Forget
      • Drop the debt and make every effort to Matt 18: 15 – 17, 35
      • your brother into temptation Matt 18: 7
      • Take to ensure you are not tempted again Matthew 18: 8 – 9
  • The key was found at the beginning of the conversation:
    

Matthew 18:4 (ESV)
⁴Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

1 Peter 3:8–12 (ESV)

⁸Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.⁹Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.¹⁰For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;¹¹let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”