Topical Sermon on Forgiveness

To Forgive or Not Forgive, that is the Question?

It’s a trick that politicians have long exploited: repeat a false statement often enough, and people will start believing that it’s true. Psychologists have named this phenomenon the “illusory truth effect”. Or what we have come to know as “fake news”.

We find it easier to process information we’ve heard over and over and become sceptical of new information that contradicts what we’ve come to believe.

Napolean was Short - He was actually around 5’6 so he was average height for a Frenchman of his day

Salt Makes Water Boil Faster - False

Dogs Sweat by Panting - False Dogs Sweat through their paws. Panting helps circulate air through their body and cools them down.

Don’t Touch Baby Birds - Parents will abandon. Not True.

We only use 10% of our Brain - Not True. Well at least for most of us :)

Don’t drink milk if you have a cold it increases mucus. Nope.

Bats are Blind - Nope

What Color do Bulls hate? Red? No - Bulls are colored blind

Christians are not immune to The Illusory Truth Effect

God’s name is Jehovah. False - Jehovah does not exist in the Hebrew Bible, God’s name is Yahwey.

Three Wise Men came to visit Jesus in the Manger. - False. They came to the house he was in about two years after he was born.

Jesus Forgave his abusers on the Cross. - False, Jesus did not forgive them, but only prayed that they would be forgiven.

Adam and Eve ate an apple - False

A Whale Swalled Jonah

Money is the Root of All Evil

Mary Magladane was a Prostitute

Satan was the Worship Leader in Heaven ()

Paul was knocked off of his horse. - False

And now we come to the most famous Illusory Truth that happens to be the most detrimental. We are called to forgive unconditionally.

Eating carrots improves your eyesight. Vitamin C cures the common cold. Crime in the United States is at an all-time high.

None of those things are true.

But the facts don't actually matter: People repeat them so often that you believe them. Welcome to the “illusory truth effect,” a glitch in the human psyche that equates repetition with truth. Marketers and politicians are masters of manipulating this particular cognitive bias—which perhaps you have become more familiar with lately.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Peter asks Jesus a question about the extent of forgiveness. Peter was actually very generous and suggested a limit of 7 times. That exceeded the Rabbinical number by 4. Jewish Rabbis taught that strike three your out. But Jesus ups the ante to 70 x 7. In other words, there is no limit . This is a reversal of lamech’s statement of 7 times.

Jesus’ answer regarding forgiveness (v. 22). Peter exceeded the Rabbinical rule by upping the ante to seven.  Peter goes way beyond the required amount but Jesus raises the stakes by responding to Peter with, ““I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (

Matthew 18:22 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

).   Jesus far exceeds both the Rabbinical rule and Peter’s excessiveness.  Where the Rabbi’s and Peter put a limit on forgiveness, Jesus swings open the floodgates of forgiveness and mercy without limits.  Seventy times seven might be a play on words referring back

Jesus far exceeds both the Rabbinical rule and Peter’s excessiveness.  Where the Rabbi’s and Peter put a limit on forgiveness, Jesus swings open the floodgates of forgiveness and mercy without limits.  Seventy times seven might be a play on words referring back

and Lamech who said, “If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”  John Nolland commenting on Jesus’ response to Peter states, “The LXX of

uses ἑβδομηκαντάκις ἑπτά (lit. ‘seventy-fold seven’) of Lamech’s vengeful spirit. Almost certainly a contrast is intended. Davies and Allison aptly quote Manson: ‘Just as in those old days there was no limit to hatred and vengeance, so among Christians there is to be no limit to mercy and forgiveness.”

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

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Jesus makes to very sobering statements. He gives a warning to those who are unwilling to forgive their debtors. If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven. How should we understand this?

Yet in other passages, Jesus clearly commands us to withhold forgiveness. Does the Bible contradict itself? That is what many unbelievers claim. But we know that the Bible is God’s Word and does not contradict itself.

So what are we to do? Well first we must take a closer look at the words of Jesus to understand what he is saying. We must look a little deeper.

Jesus commands us to forgive.

Jesus warns us that if we don’t forgive we will not be forgiven.

Jesus commands us to withhold forgiveness.

What are we to make of this?

Are we to forgive, or not forgive?

I will answer that question, but not yet. We first have to define what forgiveness is Biblically. But before we do that, I want to provide a brief outline of where we are going this morning.

What is Biblical Forgiveness - Defining our Terms.

Who should we model forgiveness after? Pop Psychology or God?

Does Jesus Command us to Forgive Other Believers? - If So, how many times?

Does Jesus Command us to Withhold Forgiveness from Other Believers? If So, what does that look like?

What About Our Enemies? Are we ever commanded to forgive our enemies? Jesus forgave his enemies on the Cross right?

There are many concepts today about what forgiveness is.

List some erroneous views of forgiveness.

Introduction and Context In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus addresses two questions presented to him by his disciples.  Jesus answers the first question asked by his disciples, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” () by presenting them with an object lesson on humility in the form of a little child. ().  Jesus then warns them about the danger of temptations to sin, “Woe to the world for the temptations to sin!”, and the drastic measures to deal with personal sin, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out”.  ().  Jesus then warns against offending his people and shows his great care for them in the Parable of the Lost Sheep, ().  Finally, Jesus comes to the topic on forgiveness.  He begins by giving instructions on how to deal with a brother who sins against you.  The first step is to confront that brother, if he refuses to repent and shows no sorrow then you bring along two or three others, if he still refuses to repent and shows no sorrow bring it to the church, and if he still refuses then the final step is church discipline and excommunication.  Jesus promises that he will stand in agreement with the church when they follow his instructions.   Finally, Jesus answers the second question which comes directly from Peter. Peter asks, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ().  Jesus’ answer comes in two stages. The first is a short and direct answer. (). The second comes in the form of a lengthy parable (), which is the scope of this exegetical paper. In this paper I will make the point that forgiveness is conditional, but must be extended to all who express true sorrow no matter how great the sin.  

Content Peter’s question regarding forgiveness (v. 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? Peter’s question can only be understood in the context of the previous verses. Jesus gives instructions on how to deal with a sinning brother.  “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.” ().   Peter’s question is in direct reference to Jesus’ command to go to the sinning brother and confront him.  By using the word brother, Jesus is referring to a believer. This becomes clear in verse 17 when Jesus says “tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector”.  The church only has authority over a believer and therefore can only excommunicate another believer.  So when Peter asks how many times is he required to forgive his sinning brother, he is referring to a fellow believer.  Peter uses the same Greek word that Jesus used which is adelphos.  Although this word has various meanings, the context clearly refers to a believer in Christ. The BDAG provides one possible definition of adelphos as, “one who shares beliefs”. And in this context the one is a brother in Christ.  Peter suggests that forgiveness should be extended up to seven times.  Although seven is a number that represents perfection, that was not Peter’s point. Alfred Edersheim in his book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah explains that according to the Talmud, forgiveness was not to exceed three times, “The Jerusalem Talmud adds the beautiful remark: ‘Let this be a token in thine hand—each time that thou showest mercy, God will show mercy on thee; and if thou showest not mercy, neither will God show mercy on thee.’ And yet it was a settled rule, that forgiveness should not be extended more than three times.” Jesus’ answer regarding forgiveness (v. 22). Peter exceeded the Rabbinical rule by upping the ante to seven.  Peter goes way beyond the required amount but Jesus raises the stakes by responding to Peter with, ““I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” ().   Jesus far exceeds both the Rabbinical rule and Peter’s excessiveness.  Where the Rabbi’s and Peter put a limit on forgiveness, Jesus swings open the floodgates of forgiveness and mercy without limits.  Seventy times seven might be a play on words referring back and Lamech who said, “If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”  John Nolland commenting on Jesus’ response to Peter states, “The LXX of uses ἑβδομηκαντάκις ἑπτά (lit. ‘seventy-fold seven’) of Lamech’s vengeful spirit. Almost certainly a contrast is intended. Davies and Allison aptly quote Manson: ‘Just as in those old days there was no limit to hatred and vengeance, so among Christians there is to be no limit to mercy and forgiveness.”

So Jesus