Sermon – “Forgiveness Can Be Tough Sometimes”

Then Peter came to Him and said, “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 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Mas-ter, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow ser-vant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fel-low servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.

‘If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him— 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

This morning my message out titled forgiveness can sometimes be tough can be tough sometimes however you want to word it. That’s probably how a Senate put it down are different but forgiveness. Sometimes can be tough in I mean I’m sure that all of us at some point in our lives have struggled with the issue of forgiveness being able to forgive someone else it can be hard work Will Smith shared that the art of forgiving is a spiritual grace every Christian should develop because this is so difficult to put into practice. He offers the following suggestions begin by showing yourself that compared to Christ sufferings you haven’t been seriously wrong at all recall the many kind deeds that you have been shown that have been shown to you perhaps even by the same person who harmed you list the benefits you have received from the Lord for that’s could take a long time right. Count your many blessings every day. Thank him for blessings for blessing you with His love and forgiveness each day make an honest effort to pray for the one who has injured you go even further by looking for an opportunity to help that person that may have harmed you. If the offense is especially hard to forget. Trotter erased a memory by thinking gracious and generous thoughts. Finally before you fall asleep at night repeat slowly and thoughtfully. The phrase from the Lord’s Prayer forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us the source of that was unknown. He shared it. He don’t know where the source came from you know sometimes even within the Body of Believers. We struggle with truly forgiving one another and there are times that the way Christians treat one another can seem like a poke in the eye which causes you to even struggle more with forgiving. Some might say well you just don’t know how bad that person heard me use don’t know what they did. Surely Jesus wouldn’t expect me to forgive that person who did such an evil thing to me or my family. Well he actually did say we should be forgive such a person if we actually claim to follow Jesus he said to forgiveness is central to the life of a believer. It is a must do hear the word of the Lord for Matthew Chapter eighteen verses twenty one through thirty five then Peter came to him and said Lord how often saw my brother sin against me and I forgive him up to seven times. Jesus said to him I do not say to you up to seven times but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with the servants and when he had begun to settle accounts one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents but as he was not able to pay his master commanded that he be sold with his wife and children and that and all that he had and that payment be made the servant therefore fell down before him saying Master have patience with me and I will pay you all then the master that servant was moved with compassion released him and forgave him the debt but that servant went out and found want to piss fellow servants who owed him a hundred unerring and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying pay me what you sow his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him saying Have patience with me and I will pay you all and he would not but when it threw him into prison till he should pay his debt. So when his fellow servant saw what had been done they were very grieved and came and told their master all that had been done than the master after he called him said to him You wicked servant. I forgave you all that debt because you beg me. Should you not have not also had had compassion on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you and his master was anger in delivered him to the tortures until he should pay all that was due him. So my Heavenly Father will do to you if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trust passes while you know I know I’ve preached on forgiveness before I don’t know that I’ve used this passage parents of think you did but it’s different. That’s a different message from the same passage in but Peter initiated this discussion in this passage he asked the Lord how many times Lord how many times should I forgive my brother that has done me wrong that is sin against me should I forgive him up to seventy time or seven times. Peter thought he was being very generous. With that thought forgive a brother seven times because the Jewish rabbis taught that you should forgive someone three times three times but after that there was no forgiveness necessary. You know most people would like to ply the New Testament version of forgiveness to themselves Iran saying you like that blood the New Testament version to yourself but you want to use the Old Testament version whenever it comes to forgiving somebody else. Yeah because it was limited to three times and I tell you there was even a little bit of allowance for revenge Ans if you will in the biggest chapter twenty four verses nineteen to twenty says if a man calls disfigurement of his neighbor as he has done so shall it be done to him fracture for fracture eye for an eye tooth for a tooth as he is cause disfigurement of a man so shall it be done to him. Some are saying like that man you poked me in the eye you’re going to get a poke in the eye you stab me in the back you’re going to get a stab in the back. But what does Jesus say to do. Turn the other cheek dunny he didn’t say go give that guy. Bust on the right cheek as he gave you a robust on the right cheek. He says to turn the other cheek. He says if they take from you your one tunic give him another. I heard a story or Mike shared a story. One time there is a bunch of Henri kids that went up the grants built of the Grown a bunch of pumpkins and they were out there in a field busting up their pumpkins The guy goes out and says hey whoa wait wait wait a minute boys he says you need to come over here is a me go show you the good pumpkin patch the big ones. Well they were and all because he didn’t come out here and scold them. He forgave them. That’s forgiveness. Again Peter thought I’m being very generous going beyond the normal bounds of forgiveness. He was probably shocked when Jesus said I tell you not seven times but seventy times seven. If the truth were told we are shocked that Jesus demands this kind of forgiveness as well aren’t we at times we often withhold forgiveness after just a very first offense let alone seven times or seven times seventy I know everyone’s doing the math. Well that’s four hundred and ninety times. I could do no the point is it’s unlimited. We’re not supposed to keep count the king in Jesus’ purple threaten to sell this man and his whole family into slavery until that debt was paid off which he never would have been able to do is to demonstrate the impossibility of us being able to pay off our debt that’s the whole point. Ten thousand talents transfer that in today’s economy would be three billion dollars three billion out looking for that resource some very but most say at least three billion dollars maybe even more three billion dollars But the whole point again is not the the monetary value it’s our sin dead it’s showing the a possibility of us being forgiven with any amount of money. It’s impossible for us to do it this servant just fell to his knees and begged give me a chance. Give me a chance don’t throw me in prison. Given the opportunity to repay that debt not no it’s just a parable. But the parable is like what the kingdom of heaven is like can you imagine the shock when a man’s face. Would it be the had that amount of debt nicking said your debt is cancelled. You can go free shocked. We should be shocked that our sin that is cancel that God allows us to give free does not does this not demonstrate how gracious God is how forgiving God is the king that deals with us your debt has been paid our many sins which could never be made right with God because all of our. Or right just miss is as filthy rags. But our debt is cancelled when we believe in Jesus Christ God forgives us our sins and releases us from all that dead frees us from our guilt from our bondage to sin. What this amazing act of graciousness and forgiveness should do is fill us with so much gratitude that we in turn should have the same forgiving spirit towards others you follow me. We should have the same forgiving spirit that God has towards us towards our brothers and sisters. Don’t fall into the trap that thinking you deserve forgiveness because it is a gift. The surprising twist or story today is that man meets a friend who owed him but a few dollars might be a few pennies. He forgets all about how he was treated by the king and the man’s that debt to be repaid immediately. This friend falls on his knees just as he had done before the king and says please be patient with me give me a chance to pay you back but he refuses his friend’s request has him thrown in the prison until he could repay the debt which again was impossible. He couldn’t earn money in prison. I’m sure there prisons back then war like our prisons today where they can actually earn a little money. But what a shocking turn of events there fellow servants report this incident to the king. So the king calls him back in. Says you wicked servant you wicked evil servant I cancelled all that did of yours because you beg me to Shouldn’t you have been turned had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you then Jesus ends that parable with these frightening words in anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all that he of so if you are not willing to forgive the neither will my father forgive you. This is how my Heavenly Father will T. treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart that is not my words the Lord said if you are not willing to forgive neither shall my father forgive you. That’s was said it is a must is to give us all pause as we consider our relationship with others. There is no love without forgiveness. There is no forgiveness without love love is what makes life wonderful it is the most complex part of all life as well and human relation ships are among the most difficult aspects of our life in because we all have feelings or miss and that we don’t like to get him hurt but a loving person is a forgiving person but for many people that’s where they get stuck on F. or given part. Jesus said Love your enemies do good to those that hate you and Luke six twenty seven. The problem is that so many today haven’t learned how to love their friends let alone their enemies. That’s sad but true. We allow tiny little petty issues and differences to divide us to make us angry. How do we ever hope to live up to the command of Christ to love our enemies if we can’t love our brothers and sisters in our friends. Jesus said When you stand praying if you hold anything against anyone forgive him so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you your sins market eleven twenty five all of us have been wronged by other people all of us have been sinned against. But you cannot pray the Lord’s prayer unless you’re willing to forgive those who have sinned against you do not pray forgive our sins as we forgive those the sin against us. If you haven’t forgiven others. If you prayed you got to mean it. If you just gloss over that part of the Lord the Lord’s Prayer and think wow forgiven most people that doesn’t get it. Forgive all Jesus is not giving us just another nice teaching here. He intended for to be a reality in our lives to be part of who we are a person willing to forgive. He was the ultimate example of his teaching when he when he said as he was being crucified Father forgive them and he meant it Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Luke twenty three twenty four and he meant it but what if that person knew what they were doing when they did me wrong. What if they knew what they were doing when they hurt me what the harm was intentional what if the horror was purposeful Jesus addressed that when he said Do not take red revenge my friends but leave room for God’s wrath for it is written it is it is mine to avenge I will repay says the Lord in Romans twelve nineteen and we can even have the Spirit of God going to get you. That’s not right either the lesson in this verse as we leave it to God we truly believe it and God’s hands. We don’t try to get back at someone or treat them in an unloving way. Neither do we say you know God’s going to get you. We simply leave it in his hands and leave it at that he will take care of it we don’t have to heal lift that burden off of us in take it in hand he will be your strength and second crit the in five ten says for we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due do us for the things done while in the body whether good or bad. Have we forgiven. Have we forgiven. We don’t have to stress about it we just need to hand it to God Jesus said so watch yourselves if your brother sins rebuke him if he repents forgive him if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back and says to you I repent forgive me you must forgive him. It is interesting to note the disciples immediate response to Jesus’ words increase our faith when he told them if your brother sins against you seven times in a day. What do they say increase my faith. So if we’re struggling with forgiveness what can we say increase my faith Lord increase my faith that I will be able to forgive my brother because it is some of the hardest work will do. Forgiveness is not saying oh well that’s OK it didn’t matter it did matter anyway it’s aright Forgiveness says it wasn’t OK. It did matter. And what you did hurt me deeply but I choose to forgive you anyway that’s true forgiveness. It does not live in the knowledge base is the reality of the deed the done and chooses to forgive. Choose to forgive rather then seek revenge or to continue to walk in bitterness. We often hear people say forgive and forget Well in some situations you might be able to forget. But in other situations you can’t forget the memory the event or situation just still keeps coming back but the bitterness is what is forgotten and left behind when we allow the spirit of the Lord to work in our lives and increase our faith to forget some of the situations of people face would force them to be in an unhealthy denial. Real love means remembering it feeling the force of that pain but yet still choosing to extend forgiveness. That’s true forgiveness. There’s an interesting passage in the book of Ecclesiastes sees the writer says do not pay attention to every word people say. But that sink in a minute. Do not pay attention to every word people say or you may hear your servant cursing you for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others because the as the seven twenty one twenty two. That’s good advice you could be in the proverbs right. Do not pay attention to every word people say because sometimes you might not like hear what you say so maybe it be a blessing sometimes be a little hard hearing. So you could hear all that stuff. Part of forgiveness is remembering that you have said and done many things for which you need other people to forgive you. Is being so grateful for God’s forgiveness that you are willing to extend that same forgiveness to others is part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ the Bible says a full shows his annoyance at once but a prudent man overlooks an insult that is a proverb twelve sixteen. Without this kind of forgiveness we are locked in a prison of bitterness and anger is such a relief to finally forgive someone it truly is it is a burden lifted off your shoulders because you know it hold you a prisoner when you’re unwilling to forgive bitterness will destroy have a forgiving spirit having a forgiving spirit doesn’t mean that we can’t once in awhile disagree with people we could still disagree with people but it can be in an agreeable way you can’t let every disagreement cause bitterness and hard feelings. If we have a forgiving spirit then we will be kind and kind and gracious the word gracious comes from the word grace in the dictionary Grace is defined as having kindness and warmth courtesy characterized by tact and propriety responding to insults with a gracious whom humor of a merciful and compassionate nature being gracious means that we treat other people with grace. The Bible again says do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult but with blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing first Peter three nine. This means that we do not repay evil with evil we don’t try to get even we treat people better than they deserve. You don’t have to wait to they deserve if you treat them better than they deserve it means blessing instead of cursing it means giving without thought of being repaid. It means being generous and open hearted towards others because we have received grace from God He has treated us better than we deserve hasn’t he yes we need to treat others with the same spirit letter conversation always be full of grace season with salt. So that you may know how to answer everyone in one nine hundred eighty nine Mother Teresa visited Phoenix Arizona. So open a home for the destitute during her visit she was interviewed by Katie A K T A R stars take a tar be good. Key K T A are the largest radio station in town and a private conversation the announcer asked Mother Teresa if there was anything he could do for her he was expecting every quest for a contribution or media help to raise the money for a new home for the poor in Phoenix. But instead she said yes there is you find somebody that nobody else loves and love them. This is what it means to exhibit the grace and kindness of Christ Jesus said I tell you the truth whatever you do for the least of these my brother you did for made there was a couple that had been married for fifteen years and they were beginning to have more than the usual amount of disagreements. So the wife came up with this idea she says we’re going to make a full box reach going to have our fault box. So every day we are going to write on a little slip of paper the things that you do to agitate made. So every day they would slip of those things in the box. So her box begin to fill up with little slips of paper the said he left the lid off the jar of jelly. He left his stinky old socks lay on the floor instead of the hamper he didn’t put his clothes away that I had washed and folded so nicely. I took that and. He left the mess for me to clean up in the kitchen. On and on and on. So when her slips. Well at the end of the thirty days they each set down after dinner one night and he gave her his box. She gave him her. He opened up the box and rid of all the things that he had done to irritate her to agitate her. Finally she still opened her box that he had given her and she took the slips out and began to read them every last one said the same thing I love you I love you friends. Forgiveness is a roadblock in our lives. It’s forgiveness is a roadblock in our relationship with God If we have unforgiveness in our heart. We need to remove that roadblock. So that we can get the God and he can get closer to us if there is own forgiveness in your heart. I heard you today. Ask God to help you ask God to increase your faith to remove that forgiveness. So that we can demonstrate the same kind of forgiveness that he demonstrates towards us towards those in our lives Amen.