FORGIVENESS
Part
1
Mt.
18:21-35 PARABLE
OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT
IN
THIS PARABLE: King
= God; Debt = Sin; Servant = Every Man
1.
PETER'S HUMAN STANDARD = 7 TIMES vs.
JESUS'
DIVINE
STANDARD = 70 X 7
A.
Not a problem of counting
but of attitude
2.
THE DEBT = 10,000 TALENTS
1
talent = 6,000 Denarii (Denarii = 1 day's wages)
6,000
X 10,000 = 60,000,000 day's wages
3.
THE PAYMENT: SELL THE SERVANT
Ex.
22:3 JEWISH
LAW STATED CONCERNING THE RESTITUTION OF
A THIEF: "...He should make full restitution; if he has nothing,
then he shall be sold for his theft."
4.
THE PLEA FOR MERCY - DEPENDENT ON GRACE
5.
THE DEBT FORGIVEN - MERCY & GRACE DEMONSTRATED
6.
THE UNMERCIFUL ACT OF INGRATITUDE
Mt.
7:1-5 UNJUST
JUDGING - A BEAM OR A SPLINTER?
EXAMPLE:
THE UNJUST SCRIBES & PHARISEES Jn.
8:1-11
GOD
IS FULL OF MERCY - UNLIKE UNMERCIFUL MEN
Psm.
130:1-ff IF
HE WERE NOT, WHO COULD STAND?
GOD
SHOWS MERCY AS A FATHER TO HIS CHILDREN
Psm.
103:11-14 "For
as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is
His mercy toward those who fear Him; [12]
as
far as the
east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions
from us.
[13]
As a father pities his children,
so the Lord pities those who fear Him. [14]
For He
knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."
GOD
IS A JUST
GOD. HE IS MERCIFUL, YET REQUIRES WE BE FORGIVING
IN
ORDER TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS
NOTICE
TWO PASSAGES FROM JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT
1.
Mt.
5:7 "Blessed
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
OUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO ONE ANOTHER
Lk.
17:3-4 "Take
heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke
him; and if he repents, forgive
him. [4]
And if he sins against
you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns
to you, saying, "I repent,' you shall
forgive him."
IMITATE
GOD'S EXAMPLE OF MERCY AND FORGIVENESS
Eph.
4:32 "And
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just
as God in Christ also forgave you."
WE
ARE NEVER MORE LIKE GOD THAN WHEN WE FORGIVE.
2.
Mt.
6:12 "And
forgive us our debts, as
we forgive our debtors."
BOTH
MERCY & FORGIVENESS ARE CONDITIONAL
UPON OUR BEING SUCH.
TO
BE LIKE OUR MASTER IS A PRINCIPLE THAT JESUS TAUGHT
Jn.
13:12-17 (VS.
15 especially) "For
I have given you an example, that you
should do as I have done to you."
1
Pet. 1:15-16 "but
as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all
your conduct, [16]
because it is written, "Be
holy for I am
holy.'"
WE
ARE ALL
GUILTY - AND IN DEBT BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO PAY
Rom.
3:23 "for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Isa.
53:6 "All
we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his
own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
WHAT
CAN WE GIVE TO GOD TO PAY OUR DEBT?
CATTLE? Psm.
50:10 "For
every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on
a
thousand hills."
LIFELONG
SERVICE?
Lk.
17:10 "So
likewise you, when you have done all those things which
you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants.
We have done what was our duty to do.'"
FORGIVENESS
COSTS US NOTING - BUT DEMANDS OUR OBEDIENT SUBMISSION
TO HIS EXAMPLE.
CHRIST
DID WHAT WE COULDN'T DO - HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR US.
HE
SET THE PERFECT EXAMPLE FOR US
Lk.
23:34 Then
Jesus said, "Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they
do..."
FORGIVENESS
IS AN ATTITUDE OF HEART THAT SEEKS
TO FORGIVE.
Mt.
18:12-14
WOULD YOU LEAVE THE 99 TO SAVE THE ONE?
JESUS'
ILLUSTRATION OF THE WILLINGNESS
OF TRUE FORGIVENESS AS THE FATHER EAGERLY WATCHES FOR THE
RETURN OF A PRODIGAL SON. Lk.
15:11-ff (The
contrast of forgiveness & unforgiveness)
INVITATION
FORGIVENESS
part
2
Review
Mt.
18:21-35 PARABLE
OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT
He
owed 10,000 talents = 60 million days' wages
A
DEBT THAT COULD NOT BE PAID. EARLIER,
JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES HOW TO PRAY
Mt.
6:12 "And
forgive us our debts, as
we forgive our debtors."
WE
LEARNED THAT WE ARE TO BE AS OUR MASTER & LORD
1
Pet. 1:15-16 "but
as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your
conduct,
[16]
because it is written, "Be
holy, for I am holy.'"
JESUS
GAVE HIS DISCIPLES A NEW COMMANDMENT: Love as I have loved you.
Jn.
13:34-35 "A
new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as
I have loved you, that you also love one another, [35]
By this
all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another."
NOTICE
JESUS' CLOSING WORDS IN HIS PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.
Mt.
18:32-35 ESPECIALLY
vs. 35
"So
My heavenly Father also will do to you
if each of you, from
the heart,
does not forgive
his brother his trespasses."
PAUL
TAUGHT THAT ACTION WITHOUT LOVE IS USELESS
1
Cor. 13:1-3 The
act of forgiveness cannot happen without first loving them.
1
Cor. 13:4-6
Love is patient,
kind, is not (easily)
provoked,
thinks
no evil
IN
THESE DESCRIPTIONS OF LOVE, IS THERE ROOM FOR US TO ACT UNKINDLY
TOWARD AN ERRING BROTHER? OR TO IGNORE HIM? OR,
WHEN THEY LEAVE, TO "WRITE THEM OFF?"
REMEMBER,
WE ARE TO FORGIVE "FROM
THE HEART"
(where love is to be.)
NOT
AS THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.
Mt.
15:8-9 "'These
people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their
lips, but
their heart is far from Me.
[9]
And
in vain they worship
Me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
Mt.
23:23-24 "Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe
of mint and anise and cummin, and have
neglected the weightier
matters of the law: justice and mercy,
and faith.
These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. [24]
Blind
guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
NOTICE
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS: AGGRESSIVE
FORGIVENESS
Mt.
18:10-14
DO WE LEAVE 99 TO SAVE ONE? The Importance of ONE.
DESPISE
[kataphroneo]
(kata,
down; phren,
the mind) To think down upon or against
anyone, hence, to think slightly of, to despise.
WE
NEED TO BE AGGRESSIVE & GO TO THE ERRING TO GAIN THEM BACK
Mt.
18:15-17 JESUS
SAID THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING!
LET'S
NOT JUST TALK
ABOUT IT, BUT LET'S DO
SOMETHING
ABOUT IT.
Jas.
2:14-17
FAITH v/s WORKS = PHYSICAL v/s SPIRITUAL NEEDS
LET'S
PRAY
FOR THE ERRING
Jas.
5:13-16 PRAYER
CAN ACCOMPLISH FORGIVENESS
Can
we pray for the erring without loving them first?
LET'S
GO
AND SEEK
THE ERRING TO BRING THEM BACK
Jas.
5:19-20 TO
DO SO CAN COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS.
FORGIVENESS
IS AN ATTITUDE OF THE HEART. IT IS ACCOMPLISHED ONLY OUT
OF LOVE FOR THE LOST AND DYING.
JESUS'
ILLUSTRATION OF THE WILLINGNESS
OF TRUE FORGIVENESS AS THE FATHER
EAGERLY WATCHES FOR THE RETURN OF A PRODIGAL SON
Lk.
15:11-ff NOTE
the contrast of forgiveness & unforgiveness)
INVITATION