The Fatal Danger of Unforgiveness

Boy, 6, dies days after South Carolina school shooting

Imagine you are the parents of Jacob Hall. What are you feeling right now?

As a pastor, I ask you to forgive the 14 year old shooter. What would you say to me, or anyone who challenged you to forgive the one who murdered your son?

You may say, "That's impossible. I'll never forgive him."

But what does God expect of us as His children?

Let's look to God's Word for direction and instruction.

Jesus tells a story to teach about forgiveness

The lesson arose from a question Peter asked about the limits of forgiveness

Let's look at Matthew 18:21-35 Read

The heart of forgiveness must be limitless

Matthew 18:21–22 NIV84

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

"How often?" and "How far?"

Those are the questions of the religious.

Peter was expressing his sense of devtion to God - COMPLETE! TOTAL!

Seven is a common biblical number for completeness and goes well beyond the rabbinic maxim of forgiving three times (e.g., b. Yoma 86b, 87a). “Against me” parallels “against you” in v. 15.

Peter’s words likely allude to the sevenfold avenging of Cain; Jesus’ reply contrasts starkly with the seventy-sevenfold avenging of Lamech

Genesis 4:24 NIV84

If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

Jesus expresses His kingdom standard

What is the standard on forgiveness?

"Seventy-seven times!"

18:22 Jesus no doubt stuns Peter with his reply. The famous “seventy times seven” (NIV marg.) is probably better translated “seventy-seven times,” based both on the most common rendering of the Greek hebdomēkontakis hepta and on the Genesis allusion noted above.

"Then I'm done? I don't have to forgive that person again. Right?

Wrong! The point is not to look for a limit.

Forgiveness is LIMITLESS

Jesus’ point is dramatic.

We dare not keep track of the number of times we grant forgiveness

“Keep on forgiving endlessly; don’t carry a grudge” is what Jesus was saying.

The conquering of this rebellious world, populated with wicked, vengeful creatures, will be accomplished through the power of forgiveness aroused by LOVE.

“The unlimited revenge of primitive man has given place to the unlimited forgiveness of Christians.” M'Neile

The King of Creation will settle accounts

Shoulder the 200+ lb. duffel bag

Matthew 18:23 NIV84

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

Everyone must answer for the way they have lived (The Sheep and Goats of Matthew 25:31-46)

Hebrews 9:27 NIV84

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV84

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The King is God

"Settling accounts" is the judgement

with his servants

v 23

The Faithful/Obedient are "Righteous"

The rebellious/Disobeient are "Wicked"

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

Revelation 2:23 NIV84

I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Revelation 20:12 NIV84

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Revelation 22:12 NIV84

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

We ALL will give an account to Jesus, the King; both of how we lived and for whom we lived.

Are your debts paid in full?

We owe a debt we cannot repay

Matthew 18:24 NIV84

As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

Jesus is teaching in this parable the way of the kingdom as opposed to the way of this world's kingdom.

In a nutshell his teaching is this: God eternally and unconditionally forgives those who repent of so immense a debt against him that it is unconscionable for believers to refuse to grant forgiveness to each other for sins that remain trivial in comparison.

"A man"

Used of single unit; not two or more.

If not for Jesus, we stand alone before God

Note the amount owed: "ten thousand talents"

Indicates a man of stature, prominence, power, and prosperity.

But he's not the KING. Jesus is!

Your position in this world carries no weight in the world to come

"who owed him (the King and Judge)

Debtor; one under obligation. Someone who has the obligation of paying a debt.

We all are guilty before God

Ecclesiastes 7:20 NIV84

There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.

Romans 3:10–12 NIV84

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

We ALL owe a debt we cannot pay

Romans 6:23 NIV84

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"Ten thousand talents"

Matthew 18:24 NIV84

As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

The “talent” was the highest known denomination of currency in the ancient Roman Empire, and ten thousand was the highest number for which the Greek language had a particular word (myrias; cf. our myriad).

Talent: Estimates in modern currency range from several million to one trillion dollars.

One talent was approximately one years wages.

So how much is "ten thousand talents?"

10, 000 years worth of wages

Avg. age of 75.

That equals 133.333 lifetimes.

Is that a debt that can be repaid?

SOLD

Matthew 18:25 NIV84

Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

It was not uncommon for servants and indebted free men to be sold as slaves to cover debts they could not pay.

2 Kings 4:1 NIV84

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

His wife

His children

All that he had

This man "spent" his life pursuing the things of this world. He would forfeit them all - His LIFE

Tornado destroys everything: "We still have each other."

When this life ends must pay what you owe...UNLESS

It's not enought to BELIEVE. One must BOW

Matthew 18:26 NIV84

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

Displaying humility and desperation and casting himself on the MERCY of the King, the servant begs for time to pay back everything owed: an impossibility. The debt was to large.

God measures the heart. He does not examine the head.

1 Peter 5:5 NIV84

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

The King "took pity on him"

Matthew 18:27 NIV84

The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“Took pity” is the same word for the compassion that characterizes Jesus’ emotions and behavior in 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; and 20:34

Matthew 9:36 NIV84

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 14:14 NIV84

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 15:32 NIV84

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

Matthew 20:34 NIV84

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

How did compassion move the King to behave toward His servant?

"Canceled the debt AND let him go."

To the astonishment of Jesus’ original audience, the king pities the man and cancels his debt.

He does not sell him into slavery.

He does not require repayment of any kind.

He lets him go free.

This is GRACE...the expression of LOVE!

The failure to express the love received: an illegitimate child.

Matthew 18:28 NIV84

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

Pick up and wear the 50 lb. sandbag

"But" the expression of grace extended by the King in private had no impact on his behavior when he went out in public

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV84

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

"he found"

He went looking for this man

"one of his FELLOW servants"

The two were alike in only one way—the debt each owed gave the creditor power over the debtor’s life.

How did he treat his fellow servant in light of the abundant grace he had just experienced?

"He grabbed him"

"He choked him"

He demanded repayment

Does this look like someone who has been transformed by the grace of God?

What did this second servant owe the first?

Three months wages.

An unregenerate heart has no mercy for those who have wronged them.

There is no love shown to those who cross their path.

This servant, like the first, begs for mercy; longs for compassion

He finds only unforgiveness

Matthew 18:30 NIV84

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

But just as the sums owed sharply contrasted with each other, so also the first servant’s response proves entirely opposite to the king’s generosity (vv. 30–31). “He refused” is literally he was not willing, showing that the servant made a conscious choice to harden his heart.

The World is watching

Matthew 18:31 NIV84

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

We are being observed by others

Two groups:

Those who do not yet know the King as their Savior.

Romans 2:24 NIV84

As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Ezekiel 36:22–23 NIV84

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

Those who do and are outraged at the hypocrisy of the "wicked" servant

They cry out to the King...and He responds "in anger" (v34).

2 Chronicles 32:25 NIV84

But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

Earlier mercy revoked

Matthew 18:32–34 NIV84

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

Called in to be condemned over wicked behavior after mercy extended and forgiveness bestowed (v 32)

Confronts his character - "wicked servant"

Reminds him of Kings limitless mercy - "I canceled all that debt of yours."

"because you begged me to"

The wicked servant wanted mercy and forgiveness for himself

Must behave like the King (v 33)

God's righteous anger (v 34)

Psalm 7:11 NIV84

God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.

He is long suffering...until He's not

Psalm 78:38 NIV84

Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.

Isaiah 59:18 NIV84

According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.

This servant made himself God's enemy by not extending forgiveness to his fellow servant

Luke 3:7 NIV84

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

John 3:36 NIV84

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Revelation 16:1 NIV84

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

Turned over to JAILERS

Turned over to be TORTURED

Until debt paid in full

Jesus reveals the terrifying consequences of UNFORGIVENESS (V 35)

Matthew 18:35 NIV84

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Closing Illustration:

Her son killed Amish children 10 years ago. Their families helped her forgive.

They are behaving like children of their Heavenly Father

We are obligated, because of the Father’s infinite mercy toward us, to treat with unconditional mercy our fellow believers who sin against us.

Is there someone you need to forgive this morning?

Pay attention to the warning that Jesus taught us from this parable about the Kingdom and its King.

Do not trust a prayer to get you into heaven while holding onto unforgivenss in your heart.

These are not my thoughts.

This is God's word.

Come and forgive and be forgiven.