Forgiveness, Faith, and Gratitude

There are two primary topics that set Christians on edge.

Money

Forgiveness

Now, we already spent a few mornings talking about money, we are done with that for a while.

Luke is going to turn to the second of those topics that makes us bristle.

Forgiveness

Do I really have to forgive?

What does that really mean?

For some of you, this is not a challenge

For others, this is a huge challenge

And when you come on Sunday and we talk about forgiveness, strange things happen.

As usual, Jesus is going to open with some teaching and then link them all together, but we have to dig to find the link.

Luke 17:1–2 (BE:NT)

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There are bound to be things that trip people up; but woe to the person who brings them about! It would be better to have a millstone hung around your neck, and be thrown into the sea, than to trip up one of these little ones.

*****Picture of Millstone *****

Jesus opens with a salvo against those who bring injury against another.

Who are the little ones? We are not told, but the image is of a weaker person, or even children.

Graphic image of what Jesus thinks about those who oppress and abuse others.

It is a STARK warning to the offender.

Luke 17:3–4 BE:NT

So watch out for yourselves. ‘If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he apologizes, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times, and turns round seven times and says “sorry” to you, you must forgive him.’

Who is this written to? The offender only?

No, this is a bit of a chiasm, because this statement is going to apply to the abuser and the survivor.

**** NEXT SLIDE ****

If your brother sins against you...

So who is the intended audience for “So watch out for yourselves” written to?

BOTH.

There is a warning that is clear to the one who injures a “little one.”

But, there is a warning to the one being abused.

Carefully read this...

Rebuke him: That language is kind of christianize…Rebuke is like:

Level a charge, make it known, call attention to it.

In other words, make it known.

And IF…IF they repent, if they turn away from their sin, if they offer a contrite apology, THEN forgive them.

Notice, this is not guilt based forgiveness. It is action based forgiveness.

Here is the gist of this…if you intentionally hurt others, you will wish you had drowned, because that will be better.

And if you are the injured party, you speak up, you call attention to it. It is not to be swept under the rug.

Calling attention will weed out the sin from the congregation.

Forgiving is a simple way to say, “work through this issue, “ so you don’t have resentment build in you.

The apostles response to this is...

Luke 17:5–6 BE:NT

The apostles said to the master, ‘Give us greater faith!’ ‘If you had faith’, replied the master, ‘as a grain of mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and be planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.

So, is this a subject change or a plea to have the strength to stop sinning, or to forgive others, perhaps all of the above?!

We will find out why this is sandwiched between the two sections.

It has a purpose for being here.

QUESTION: Does it take faith to leave divine justice in the hands of God? Yes.

But the preceding section does not excuse justice on earth. Rebuke the person, they must repent, but rebuke means to bring the matter to light.

You must leave the outcome of their soul to God.

So, let’s read on to see what this definition of faith is.

Luke 17:7–10 (BE:NT)

‘Supposing one of you has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep out in the field. When he comes in, what will you say? “Come here at once, and sit down for a meal?” No; you will be far more likely to say, “Get something ready for me to eat! Get properly dressed, and wait on me while I eat and drink! After that you can have something to eat and drink yourself.” Will you thank the servant because he did what you told him? ‘That’s how it is with you. When you’ve done everything you’re told, say this: “We’re just ordinary servants. All we’ve done is what we we were supposed to do.” ’

Who is confused?

Sounds kind of harsh, right?

What is Jesus trying to say here?

Put forgiveness into the context

Don’t expect some great thank you or celebration when you do what you have been instructed to do.

He likens forgiveness and faith as normal duties of working in a field or keeping the sheep.

Now, is this how Jesus works?

Or is this a PARABLE?

When you are serving others, when you work for them as an employee or otherwise, do not expect to be recognized or thanked.

In other words, when you forgive

Don’t expect recognition

Don’t see fame for it

It should be an ordinary action that does not make you superior to anyone else.

And to answer the question of faith...

Luke 17:11–19 (BE:NT)

As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he passed along the borderlands between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into one particular village he was met by ten men with virulent skin diseases who stayed at some distance from him. ‘Jesus, Master!’ they called out loudly. ‘Have pity on us!’ When Jesus saw them he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were healed.

One of them, seeing that he had been healed, turned back and gave glory to God at the top of his voice. He fell on his face in front of Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.

‘There were ten of you healed, weren’t there?’ responded Jesus. ‘Where are the nine? Is it really the case that the only one who had the decency to give God the glory was this foreigner?

‘Get up, and be on your way,’ he said to him. ‘Your faith has saved you.’

Fascinating event here.

He tells them to GO TO THE PRIEST.

So they go, and they are healed!

******

But one of them turns back when he realizes he is healed.

And he thanks the servant Jesus.

*******

But there were ten…where are the other nine?

They are doing what they were told to do by Jesus.

They are going to the priest!

So....Why would he call them out?

This WHOLE THING IS RICH in DETAILS:

This man is a Samaritan, how is he going to present himself to the priest? Which priest? Their own priests or a priest of Israel?

Were the other men Samaritans? Or was this a Samaritan among a group of Hebrews?

That would be interesting. The disease may have brought different people together.

******

Get up, your faith has saved you.

You would think, this man would have used his faith to uproot trees and put them in the sea!

Do you see the flow?

A. Injure and Forgive

B. Give us Faith

A’. Do it without expecting thanks

B’. Faith through gratitude saves

Again…this is rich in details.

We don’t want to forgive

The other person does not deserve it

It takes faith to forgive

Forgiving is part of our faith, it is something Jesus asks us to do.

Even when we have worked all day, we are tired, we are worn out, we think it is unfair, we are expected to serve God.

Forgiving someone who repents is faithful service to God.

And don’t see your own recognition.

Go about your business when you do it.

Let it go and be on your way.

Don’t be like the ten lepers...

9 of them were only interested in doing what they were told to benefit themselves.

Only one had the decency to recognize Jesus as worthy of praise.

And it was that one that had faith.

He did not argue his case before Jesus, “Why am I like this?!”

Now, what do WE DO WITH ALL THIS?

Jesus instructs us to rebuke, expose, bring to light, the offense of our brothers and sisters. Not as an act of revenge...

But as an act that seeks their repentance.

And if they stop, then you are instructed to forgive.

And that is where it ends.

If they don’t repent, then they are fodder for whatever is worse than drowning by millstone.

That must be left, by faith, in the hand of God. You may get justice in the court, but divine justice is not our business.