1030am Sunday 9-13-2020

Thank you very much Chris. That was fantastic. And I think we all need to be reminded of the freedom that forgiveness brings to all of us and it's appropriate and then plant obviously today we're going to be reading from the gospel of Matthew the 18th chapter continuing right where we left off last week beginning at verse 21, either Bible open up or turn it on with me. We going to be beginning at Matthew chapter 8 verse 21

The words of Jesus then Peter came and said to Jesus Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive as many as seven times? Jesus said to Peter not seven times, but I tell you 77 times. For this reason the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a King who wish to settle accounts with his slaves when he began the Reckoning one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. And it has he could not pay his lawyer ordered him to be sold together with his wife and children and all of his possessions and the payment to be made. To the slave fell to his knees before him saying have patience with me. I will pay everything.

But out of pity for him the Lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But the same slave as he went out Came Upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii. I he said pay what you owe. Then his fell asleep fell down and pleading with him. Any sense with me. I will pay you. But he refused then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt what when his fellows slave saw what happened? They were greatly distressed and they went and reported to their lord already taken place. Then his Lord summoned him and said to him you Wicked sleeve. I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me to do not have had mercy on your fellow slave as I have had mercy on you. An anger his old handed him over to the tour to be tortured until he would pay the entire debt. So my heavenly father will also do to everyone of you. If you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart. the gospel of Our Lord

I invite you to pray with me.

Change be broken lives be healed In This Moment Christ be revealed in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit on them. Good morning. So so last week the lectionary texts for us a signed with Matthew at 18 on conflict resolution. And then we pick up very next verse today for the assigned texts of verse 21 and Matthew 18, and it goes right into forgiveness the last week. We got mechanics of how do we as this new Humanity? How do we as this Kingdom Resurrection people? How do we Define and do conflict together? And in Jesus leaves that very clearly if you did not hear that sermon last week my invitation for you is to go back to last week last week's message and watch that cuz it it really tried my best pocket for you and just the the the the process that Jesus was that which is incredibly wise and Powerful, but but today we shift from reconciliation. Just between two people to the topic of forgiveness, which is from me to another person regardless of that person's response to me forgiveness is a is a heart issue not a process issue between two people it comes from me to the other person and soap before we get started. My question before us is based on what we just read from Jesus about this Parable in the 77 times of forgiveness. Do we think that Jesus cares about whether or not his disciples his followers people who claimed his way and Mark themselves with his cross on their foreheads and baptism do we think that Jesus cares about how we forgive Yes, we we we have the the praise team sang a song this morning at about the adapted from The Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer itself lays out for us the core tenants of the faith right being satisfied and not needing enough daily bread. That's what we need sustenance and then forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us and so it's very important to Jesus met his disciples his people his church his assembly of gathered disciples that we find a way and understand the importance of forgiveness. So we're going to go and walk through this text step by step because it's a very dense text for the first part we come to his wrist 21, right what happens it says here the first then Peter came and said to him Lord if another member of the church sends against me, how often should I forgive? as many as seven times and here we can almost hear Peter gloating. Because he comes to Jesus a jesus-like. Let's get practical, right? Okay, you talked about like the concept of Lucien? Okay, I got it. But like this forgiveness topic like how how what is the line? What's the line of forgiveness? I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to put a pro balance. Is it seven times and I can hear. Peter in his mind singing that's pretty good like seven times a lot. Like I would only do 4, but yeah 7 is like Trump things you like. I I am the best disciple Jesus and I'm going to forgive 7 times. and

Jesus's response to Peter is also quite clever. And and what does Jesus say verse verse 22 and Jesus said to him not seven times to which you almost here. Like you see the, and there's a pause if you have like no good cuz I don't know if I could do 7 times. And then Jesus has but I tell you 77 x some translations in your Bibles will have seven Seventy Times Seven. Would you like over 400 times? What is clear here is that Jesus isn't really worried about the mathematics of forgiveness. He's not worried about the threshold of forgiveness and something much more. Why is it actually it's a very clever story word story that Jesus is doing here cuz he's actually in this using am not 7 but 77 he's actually a luta to a story in the Book of Genesis that Peter and the disciples would be well-versed in the new these stories inside and out as children. And so there's only two places in all scripture with the numbers 7 and 77 are used clothes together. It's one of them in here in Matthew 18, and the other place that it's bound is in the play The Book of Genesis in the fourth chapter Genesis chapter 4, the only one place it's about if you want to understand the word picture Jesus is painting here. You need to know that story that Jesus is is alluding to he's bringing your mind to Genesis chapter 4. You probably know the story of how you describe it. So there's just two brothers Cain and Abel. You probably know where I'm going with this. Hopefully you do and Kane becomes very very jealous and angry with his brother evil. And he decides in his heart that he is going to murder his brother Abel and God warns Cain in Genesis chapter 4 verse 7. He warned him about acting on this impulsive anger. He says this this is a great image here. He says if you do not do what is right. Sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you. Shoji in this story of Cain and Abel God paints a picture for Kane about this. This image of an animal wild ferocious animal hungry for you was going to devour you when consumed crouching at your door, if you walk through that door came you're going to be devoured and we all hope we know the story right? Maybe maybe you don't cane decides in spite of the morning about this animal crouching and pouncing on him if he if he reacts on that impulsive anger. He kills his brother in a field and he then goes on from there and he establishes a city. He has a child by the name of Enoch with his wife and they established the city of Enoch named after James wife child, son and The city is terrible and it goes on for about five generations. And what what ends up happening is the city is marred and defined by Vengeance and my broken isn't by sending all of these terrible things because like founder like city right soaps O'Kane is angry and vengeful and jealous. And so why would we think the city of Enoch would be any different and all of this reaches is a text to this person of Les Mack the guy by the name of Les McCann Les neck is kind of the epitome that the standard-bearer of the Brokenness of the city of Enoch. And he's filled with fractured relationships and he's filled with anger and pride and Vengeance and and all of the emotions and feelings that the king had that he passed on to his people and so late night. Tell us a story. He's very proud of who he is this very broken person epitomizing humans sin and he sings the song about himself to his wife. He has multiple wives first person the Bible to have multiple wives. So not exactly a great thing and she sings the song verse 4 chapter 4 verse 24 and here's where Jesus is eluding right? I need to tell you that story to build up to it. But this is where Jesus Lutz that 70 and 77 or 777 Linux sings this song. He says I have killed a man for wrong me a young man for injuring me. If Kane is Avenged seven times then lay next 77 times. Like I'm I'm big and bad and I kill and I do what I want and Jesus is a looting in his story and his instruction to Peter and the disciples back to this story to the story to create a more full picture about the priorities of his kingdom. Where is the king of pain and Lemak in the old Humanity? It was defined by this unbridled sin and Vengeance the new humanity and the New Kingdom that Jesus is bringing near to the people and his disciples will be defined in the same way. But in the opposite way, it will be defined with this unbridled nature, but instead of Vengeance and send it will be defined by an unbridled ability to forgive and have mercy The comparison could not be for the disciples more clear and Powerful from their kind of defining this new kingdom to tell a parable of the parable about why it matters on its why it matters that we forgive and the Primacy that forgiveness will have in the kingdom of heaven and so in this Parable the the king is God that's that that's the image and the servant the slaves that you and I and we can be any one of those people that doesn't matter baby with a spectator servants may be aware that the servant that's the bad servant manga with a servant that gets thrown in prison unjustly and and the guy just refuses to to forgive us whoever we are really immaterial we can see ourselves in any way shape or form, but that's where the characters are. And so this servant comes before his king and the king is speaking to settle accounts debts and the the servant owes his King 10000 talents. To give you a scope of how much that is. That would be like the annual budget of a Nation. One guy an annual budget of a Nation its Men actually to be humor like the disciples were here 10,000 towns like it like that much money. It's a one Talent one talent and I was ten thousand is worth 6000. Denarii. I and 1 dinari. I was one day's wage in this time. So so one one Talent is equal to 16 years. of wages That's a lot. So ten thousand talents. Would equate to 16 million days of Labor. That's how much this slave old is King in master. Most people in this time of Jesus did live past 35 or 40 and then when you do the numbers are that's maybe between 13 to 15000 days that you got this guy over 60 million. He is not even going to keep wouldn't be able to live long enough in any form of reality to be able to repay that debt. It's it's impossible. Jesus is using this to highlight the absurdity of the slave situation and you can just kind of hear the laughter yet ten thousand talents. That's that's it possible. So obviously not possible in this in this terrible is Lord verse 25 this year Iselin ordered him to be sold together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. So this was a very common practice in Jesus's day. If if I owed you money and I was unable to pay what was in my coin purse or what was in my home or I couldn't let you know have a yard sale in that than what would end up happening would be the person I owed the money to could actually then sell me into indentured servitude to recoup the losses. Right? Same thing is like repossessing a home kind of thing. But with people it's it's a very unjust system, but it is common in the time that Jesus is talking inside the disciples and Jeremy had that happened to him. It was terrible. And so Jesus is using hear this image to underscore kind of the futility. Of this man's position. He has no power. No agency. He is going to be sold. 26 shows us what his response is to this terrible pit of a situation that he is in patients with the I will pay you everything. He won't he can't it is impossible. He's not going to pay what he owes. And then the king in this Parable does something outrageous and irrational. We're talkin 10000 * we're talkin this King was budget for a year or decade or more. Spurs 27 out of pity for him a few just begged on the ground for me out of pity for him the Lord of that slave released him. There's that imagery of releasing again. Release him and forgave him the debt. Jesus is making a claim here in this parable. About the heart and the compassion and the generosity of God and God's compassion and his generosity is so far beyond our expectation and comprehension. This is not how this terrible should end. This is not wisdom. This is foolishness. But but that's not how Jesus sees it and he's helping his disciples to see it in the same way. Instead of being transformed however by this outrageous a rational Act of compassion that he had just been showed.

The forgiven servant goes and he finds a fellow servant who owes him money but a hundred denarii I'd says there's 28 go there with me.

If we don't put that same slave as he went out Came Upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him about a hundred denarii is that would be three to six months worth of wages?

And seizing him there's that imagery going to seizing right? What what did Adam and Eve do to the fruit? They They seized it that same word is being used here that forceful driving and taking of what we think is owed to us. He sees him by the throat. He said pay what you owe.

That is felis Lay fell down and plead with him have patience with the I will pay you but he refused and he went and threw him into prison until he would pay his debt.

In this Parable, what is Jesus teaching his disciples about what unforgiveness and what if a refusal to appreciate the Forgiveness we have received what does it do to us? What does a refusal to acknowledge and appreciate our having been forgiven and having received compassion for the hurt that we have caused in the wrongs that we have done as this slave has just had done to him and being forgiven by the king does two things and they're very evident in our text today. The 1st is Refusing to acknowledge and appreciate what it's been done for us is it makes us incapable of showing empathy and compassion toward others? The fellow servant uses the same word back to him the same words that he just plays with the King 4 and with and receive forgiveness that new service give him the same words his own words back to him.

But because that sleeve hadn't fully appreciated in some reality the power of himself having been forgiven. He can't fully appreciate the power of what it means to offer forgiveness and to view others as more than their debts failures and Imperfections. Very very important. The second thing refusing to forgive indicates and reveals is that it makes us a rational. Absolutely irrational notice the first thing that the band does to the guy who owes him money, right? He just left the king's Chambers. You've been forgiven basically an impossible amount of money and he seized a fellow servant he was about six months wages, which is entirely as a lot of money, but it's entirely possible over a. Of time to forgive to tube to receive back to have that paid back to you as possible. 10,000 is not but a hundred denarii I can do that. It says in verse 28 Stephen him by the throat. He says pay what you owe. Teasing him by the throat and then as if that wasn't enough he throws the guy into prison which according to the times was his right? Now my question is is this serving able to repay? Being in prison and being attacked as he was is he able to repay the debt that he owes? I'm jail. No absolutely not absolutely not but it's clear that at this point in that relationship in the parable that Jesus gives this isn't about This is about righting a wrong. And this isn't about fixing a problem at this point is it? Beat the Iraq the rationale he's taking over that the animal that crouches at the door of the servant accounts and he's devouring the man and as a result of being devoured he then devours others in this case his fellow servant. It's about satisfying this little lady Mac inside of his servant and in ourselves instead of making sure.

And making sure that we hurt them more than they put us that we that we take a pound of flesh out of them for having failed us. And so what becomes clear is, you know, this beside is image of choking and ascended were Beyond rationality when we refused to acknowledge the Forgiveness, we have been given and respond with forgiveness to others. We completely lose the ability to think clearly What Jesus is underscoring for us is?

Is it not forgiving actually works against our own Financial personal emotional and spiritual interest will this slave who through this slave who owed him money into prison? Will he ever see that money? No, but it's not about the money anymore. Is it now it's about me vindicating and an edifying my own rage at the person. That's what unforgiveness does. And so what happened? the king hears about this the terrible behavior of the servant to adjust forgiven and he becomes enraged verse 32

Ben is Lord summon him and said to him you Wicked slave. I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave as I had mercy on you and then anger his Lord handed them over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly father will also do to everyone of you. If you do not forgive your brother or sister from the heart. I noticed the parallel that King draws between the servants receiving unfair of forgiveness. And then the expectation that that servant will then offer forgiveness to others. Should you not have had mercy on your fell asleep as I had mercy on you? Jesus apparently believes That this concept of forgiveness is so Central. to the Christian journey, and it's so essential to our process of Being Human fully human and restoring the heart that we have that I tore is broken in all of us and we all have trouble with anxiety essential that she gives us a prayer the foundational prayer of our faith and within that prayer was it say Forgive us our sins.

As we forgive those who sin against us that there's this ecosystem that there's this Ecology of forgiveness. That is a cycle that continues and goes on.

But the reason Jesus makes is making forgiveness a central pillar of his kingdom.

Of this new Humanity of his followers is because he loves his children and doesn't want them to fall prey to this animal of anger and rage that that crouches at our door and Jesus explains the consequences of this unforgiveness verse 34 and anger is one handed them over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.

Not forgiving in Jesus's Parable in Jesus's Kingdom in our own lives, and we know this to be true not forgiving is like being tortured.

And you can create more pain and resentment. And compound the problems until it consumes you that is the consequence of refusing to forgive it may take time. But forgiveness is something that we all must wrestle with him. We all must try and ultimately choose to do.

Jesus makes it clear that forgiveness fundamentally comes from the choice of the heart. That's where it comes from. He says it's 35 the very end of the parable. So my heavenly father will also do to everyone of you. If you do not forgive your brother or sister. We're from the heart. There's a fantastic book on forgiveness that I've read recently by guy by the name of Lewis smedes. The book called The Art of forgiveness and it's a fantastic. I recommended Lewis smedes The Art of forgiveness and he says in this in this funky. I'm going to quote him here. He says of the the the result of not forgiving he says this cuz I know a man of 70 Who says he was once cheated out of a promise retirement bonus 15 years ago. He knows for sure who did it. It was the new vice president in charge of personnel. Everyone who has spent more than 15 minutes with this man has heard the story every taxi driver who has ever driven him more than 2 miles knows it the postman knows that the woman at the checkout counter knows it is Rage has become his very being he has become his bitterness. He breathes it. He sleeps it and will probably die in it. In fact, he may die of it. The poison has splattered his organs and an ulcer now bleeds on the lining of his health once healthy stomach. He has waited too long. If he now forgave the man he would not know who he was.

like an animal crouching at your door

It will consume you. If you let it. And that's such a beautiful powerful image of what unforgiveness does but I want to end us with the image of I think what Jesus intends for the church intends for his kingdom to actually be which of the church whose currency is forgiveness. I don't want to preface this by saying this is a tragic story and in 2015 in June of 2015. Dylann roof and Hood mother Emanuel. Church in Savannah In Charleston South Carolina, and he sat for an hour and a half as the Bible study occurred and actually Reverend Pickney was the pastor at the church and he was actually a colleague of mine at Seminary. We had a buddy a year overlap together and actually took a class with him. He was a fantastic man, very jovial very kind and Dylan waited for an hour and a half till after Bible study that ended and then he took out his gun and he killed 9 people at the Bible study. And as is customary the victims during the charging process were given the opportunity to speak safely to the perpetrator to the one who had done this terrible thing to their families who would take it away loved ones far more valuable than ten thousand talents far more valuable than any amount of money we could fathom. And Nadine Collier one of the family members who lost a loved one at the shooting she spoke and she said this to Dylan the man who had just murdered murdered. Like likely Mac murdered this family member of her she says. how to get through this without crying she says I forgive you I want everybody to know that. You took something very precious away from me. I will never get to talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you.

And have mercy on your soul you hurt me? You heard a lot of people. But if God forgives you and I forgive you.

Nadine Collier

do not allow the animal crouching at your door. the cause you to lose Who You Are Remember who you are? I remember the Forgiveness you have received from your father. I'm at that be the thing that defines who you are and what people will speak and remember of you. Thanks be to God that spray gracious God. Thank you for forgiveness. Help us to forgive. In your name we pray.