How To Know That You Don't Understand Forgiveness

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Our Next All-Church Bible Study Will Be All About Sex, Marriage, Divorce, etc.

Our final All-Church Bible Study for 2023 is TOMORROW (11/8), 6:30-8:00 PM, and it will be all about sex, marriage, divorce, remarriage, same-sex attraction, etc.

We’ll be looking at what Jesus has to say about these topics in Matthew 19.

Bring a friend!  Going to be a great night.

 
 

Matthew 18:21-35

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

 
 

The basic plot of this parable is easy to follow:

  • A king forgives servant A an outrageous sum—

    the equivalent of millions and millions of dollars in

    today’s currency;

  • Servant A then refuses to forgive a much smaller debt

    that servant B owes servant A;

  • The king finds out and has servant A thrown in jail

    and tortured!

  • Then, Jesus sums up the parable:

    “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” [18:35]

HOW TO UNDERSTAND THIS STRANGE PARABLE

Remember, context matters: this parable comes at the end of an entire chapter (Matthew 18) on how to live together as the church. Verses 1-5 are about who is great in the kingdom, with the focus on humility. Verses 6-9 focus on temptations to sin. Verses 10-14 tell the Lost Sheep parable. Verses 15-20 talk about dealing with sin inside the church community. Verses 21-22 talk about forgiveness. Verses 23-35 tell the parable of the Unmerciful Servant. The central theme is verses 15-20---sin in the church--and the rest of the chapter is explanation and commentary on that theme.

Living together in the church will require humility; God will pursue sinners at great expense; sin in the church must be dealt with; we will need to forgive others over and over again; but, forgiveness should produce a response in us. The Way of the Cross—self-denial and sacrifice and obedience—shapes this entire section.

I like how Klyne Snodgrass puts it:

"This text is a clear example of the tension between two or more truths that are always present in Christian theology. The community cannot tolerate sin without confrontation and reproof, but must always love and forgive without limits... The parable prevents any presuming on grace. The church has often presented a grace that did not have to be taken seriously, but biblical grace is transforming grace. When you get the gift, you get the Giver, who will not let you go your way." —Klyne Snodgrass, Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus

Discipleship Produces Obedience

Professor Snodgrass goes on to say:

"Neither Matthew nor Jesus is legalistic, neither promotes salvation by works... but both insist that discipleship includes obedience.”

Forgiveness is limitless, but it can't be presumed, and shouldn’t be wasted. If forgiveness doesn't change us, we haven't really understood our need for it anyway. Jesus is not a sentimental Santa Claus; people prattle on about how loving Jesus is--which is true--but he is a giver who has a hard edge, and he demands a response, which you see if you actually read the Gospels.

Saving faith is obedient faith, and he has commanded us to forgive those who trespass against us.

Whom do you need to forgive today?