Matt 18_21-35 Generosity Grace Forgiveness

Generosity, Grace, and Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

Secular:

I remember…
Tourists in Vancouver…
Top of Grouse… Grouse Nest
Went with friends… warned them about the cost…

$10- soup… $14 dessert… $40 entrees

Tram ride… great service… excellent view…
End of meal… negotiate a $2.00 cup of coffee
Out of place… willing to spend the 50-60 person… hedge on the $2.00
Food service… big table expensive meals… bottle of wine… cheap tip…
Conversely… the obviously less wealthy… pleasant experience and generous gratuity…
If our lives we often mishandle forgiveness…
We dine freely at the luxurious… glorious banquet that God through his grace and generosity supplies…
And squabble over, even begrudge, $2.00 worth of forgiveness
Forgiveness is so much more than the offering and accepting of an “I am Sorry”

Biblical:

Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' 27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' 29 "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' 30 "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' 34 "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

Personal:

Kids are honest…
Probably should avoid playing poker
It is too easy to read them…
When they fight… we ask them to apologize
You can hear it all in their voices

Displeasure
Genuineness / Insincerity
sadness

You can gauge how the apology is going
But genuine forgiveness isn’t in the words or emotions
It is in the choice

Bridge:

God by divine action choose, through Jesus, to forgive us
The king in the parable choose to forgive the slave
The slave choose not to forgive the other slave
Forgiveness is so much more than the offering and accepting of an “I am Sorry”
IT IS A CHOICE

Body:

The Command

21b "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Bible is clear… forgive… even when we don’t want to…
Forgiving rests in the forgiver…
It wasn’t how often must they be contrite… how much should they beg… how long do I hold it over there head… 1 Cor 13… no record of wrongs
The simple question…

How many… seven ( a lot… Jewish rules Talmud… rabbi’s ruling 3…)
Seven was going above and beyond…
Jesus says that isn’t even close…
Not only 7 (the number signify perfect…)
70x7 (perfect and complete…)
Like Jesus...

Luke 23:34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. – didn’t even apologize
Forgive like this…
To help understand… Jesus shares the depth of Forgiveness… in a parable…

The King…

23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' 27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

Justice

The King could demand payment…
The King could exact it… jail him… sell him… enslave him…
The King had a right…
"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

Generosity

The King responded out of his generosity… forgiveness stems from a willingness to be generous to others…
Generosity… is recognizing true value… and giving freely
This was not some loyalty play…
The King didn’t stand to benefit…
Multi-year payback plan…
Incalculable debt… probably a tax collector who stole… not a normal amount…vast… huge…
This not the most hospitable situation for forgiving…
Yet… it is in this very context… that the King out a ton of money… shows his generosity… he is giving freely FINANCIAL ATROCITY
Generosity… is giving without expectation

Grace

Unmerited favour…
Justice (his to give)-… Generosity… Compassion… mercy…
"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
Imagine the burden of debt…

You drive the car…
Holidayed
Fed the family…
Feel the burden…
It is due…

Forgiveness

Not just walk away from what is due
Not covering our anger with a solution
Not about a mandate
It a choice
It is about Generosity and Grace
Loving others enough… not demanding our pound of flesh…
1 Kings 3:25 The king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other."
Quick test of the heart…
What do you want… ½ a child or forgiveness…
Not about the 2.00 cup of coffee… in light of an expensive meal

The Subjects

28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' 29 "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' 30 "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' 34 "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

Justice

Only demanded what was due!

28 ‘Pay back what you owe.'

Used legal means… threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
On the surface… sounds pretty straight forward…
But Jesus is teaching us about forgiving

Generosity

Had not the lord or king in this parable not showed incredible generosity… 10 thousand talents!!
The slave however showed no generosity… he had been relieved a great debt…
Yet though extremely blessed… turned off the tap… decided not to carry it on…
Pay-it forward… not this time

Grace

Is unmerited favour…

Loving the unlovable
Giving to those who can’t repay

No Generosity
No Compassion
This subject liked to receive grace… but did not want to give it!

Forgiveness

No forgiveness…
Hard, bitter, angry….

'Pay back what you owe.’ "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

No forgiveness

The Cross

Justice

God holiness demands justice…
We too a have debt…

Even more the incalculable 10,000 talents

We have been in opposition to God… racking up a debt… with every sin…

Imagine… if every sin only weighed an ounce
And we had to make payment… YIKES!

Generosity

The Father gave till it hurt… Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
The Son gave till it hurt… Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
Gave freely… John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Grace

·

· Unmerited favour…

· God of Compassion

· God of love

· God of mercy

· God of grace

· Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Grace to Forgive…
His Choice to forgive

Forgiveness

No sting… external consequences… ya maybe
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
relationship
Psalm 32:1 … How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!
Blessed… cleaned… covered…
Separated from us… covered
Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Conclusion:

Justice

Sometimes they offend us…
Sometimes they hurt us…

Generosity

Pay it forward…
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
As God has given you…
Jesus from w/i

Grace

Not as they deserve
But as you choose in light of the grace extended to you
It is about a transformed heart…

Forgiveness

Not forgetting
Separating the sting
No repercussions
Generosity and grace

Luke 7:47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."