CMLC 2023-09-17 Sermon

Howdy. Well, I think this part at least I know what I'm supposed to be doing so

that hopefully that should be alright. There was a story about a Japanese

fighter pilot. The name I believe is pronounced Nobile Fujita. In 1942 he

became the only enemy fighter to have flown an enemy plane over the

continental US during World War II. Most, all the rest of the war was in other

places, even being over in Hawaii but not the mainland of the US. And yet in

dropping bombs during this time he ended up creating fires off the Western coast,

particularly in places like Brookings, Oregon. And because of what had happened

many of these areas, these towns, were utterly destroyed by forest fires. But 20

years later, in 1962, Fujita came to Oregon and brought a 400-year-old

Samurai sword with him and went to Brookings, Oregon to apologize and to

ask for their forgiveness and bestowed the Samurai sword upon the city, which

still proudly displays that sword to this day. You see, in this moment is that as

much as a person may say that they were justified in their actions, is that at the

same time making that effort ends up creating a level of forgiveness that the

people would not have known or been able to have offered otherwise. You see, today's

gospel lesson, it could very easily turn into you need to forgive because God

forgives us, done. And I get to tell you all what you're supposed to do and you

leave out of here and you've got your marching orders. How many of you think

that forgiveness is that easy to deal with? Okay, nobody's raising their hands.

Good, thank you. I was really making sure about that part. But the thing is, is that

forgiveness is something that ends up always having limitations in our minds.

We are regularly thinking of forgiveness as something that has to be kept in

certain boundaries. We either think of it as something we're giving or receiving,

but we have to make sure that we only go so far. Because if we are too forgiving,

then the world thinks that we are pushovers. Or if we think of ourselves

as being forgiven for too many things, well, we know we can't earn it. So then

does that mean that we've lost our self-confidence? Because we have to keep

thinking about all the ways in which others are forgiving us. So when Jesus

says that we must forgive or our Father in heaven will not forgive us, he's

really just trying to use hyperbole. And he's really just trying to make a point,

not saying that there would not be a withholding of forgiveness by God. Right?

The thing about this is that we oftentimes glaze over this passage, but it

runs deeper than just saying, now go forgive people because I've told you

to. I want to spend a moment and I want to look at the King with his servants.

Now, I don't know about you, but I've seen quite a few Apple commercials over

time. Whether or not I like it, whether or not I buy any of it, I'm going to see

Apple commercials. And one of the things that I always find fascinating is the

times whenever one person doing something in the Apple commercial now has

effects that have spread out through the entire world. One person has now helped

lead another person across the street, and now that person who's helped across

the street is picking up the litter and somebody else who saw the litter being

picked up is now going to come and bring food to someone in need who then and so

on and so forth. And the thing with this is that this is oftentimes the way that

we want to look at how the world is supposed to work. One good thing leads

to the next. And you see in our story, the King with his servant is beginning an

Apple commercial. The truth is, is that he is there and he is fully capable of

taking what he wants. The passage does not say the King has called in his

servants so that he can forgive them. No, no, no. He's called them in to settle the

debts. Look at the context. The King is calling them in either to get his money

or throw them in prison. This is not someone who starts off as kindly. This

is not a King who starts off merciful. This is a King who is willing to go ahead

and sell the servant and his family to get at least something out of them. And

yet at this moment, what does the servant do? The servant begs for forgiveness.

Now, we're not always used to seeing forgiveness in our world. We have seen

whenever a general has marched up to the capital of his country and then was

told that if he would back down, all would be forgiven and he could leave.

Only to find out that a few months later, he has died mysteriously in a plane

crash. We do not live in a world that randomly forgives out of the kindness of

its heart. And yet, what does the King do? The King ends up seeing the man. He sees

the person. And in his heart, what does he do? He bestows forgiveness and

releases the debt. Now, in this story, one person's forgiveness is meant to now

change things. So think about this. You've now seen the King who has been owed

this massive amount by the servant who has now forgiven all of it. What should

naturally flow next? Think about it. When you just read that one piece, what are

you expecting to see? If someone owed him a small amount, what should he probably

do? Absolutely. Thank you, Jenny. All right. Hey, I can always count on at least one

person to answer. With that, is now we see this servant go out. And when you see

his response to his fellow servant, what feeling does that put inside of your

stomach? Yes, that's exactly what you get in response. Yes, I think he was yawning,

but it was like a really weird cringy like moment. It was good. With it is

that's exactly how we're supposed to feel with this story is that we're supposed

to feel sick, mad, upset. We see this man who's been given everything and what does

he go and do? He immediately goes off to extract what he can from his fellow

servant. So does this look like the king's kindness has had any real effect on

the servant? So now how do you think the king is supposed to feel? You see, the

thing is, is that as much as we might think of those who are in authority as

just being some distant governing body, is that they're people too. They like to

think that whatever they did may have had a good influence on the world around

them. I mean, I still remember when I was a kid and I saw Rocky IV for the first

time. And the thing is, is that in 1985, it showed us that Rocky, defeating

Drago at the end, was going to lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union. Now

granted, I didn't see it in 1985 because I was five. I saw it in 1989 when I was

nine. And of course, as we know, shortly thereafter the Soviet Union fell. And in

my mind, I was like, man, thank you, Rocky. It took a while before I

realized that Rocky was a fictional movie that had absolutely no effect on

geopolitical affairs in the world. And that and the fact that it wasn't actually

in my history books as a child. But what I saw with it, though, was this feeling,

this desire that if we have influence, we want to think that it's going to matter.

I know I feel that way oftentimes. There are times whenever I will preach

something up here and then I pause and I see maybe the very next day somebody

who had been in the congregation doing the exact opposite of what was the point

of the sermon and I'm standing there thinking to myself, oh, good job. Well

done. Let's preach another one. But the thing is, is that forgiveness is meant to

end the spiral of what we see in the world around us. It's meant to change

things. But the point is that with the King is that he's expecting that what he

did to the man would matter to him. Because if we don't see it in ourselves,

then what was the point in the first place? You see, the thing is, is Jesus'

words of saying, if you don't forget your brother, then your father will not

forgive you in heaven. That strikes us as difficult because here's the thing. Are

we saying that God doesn't want to forgive us? No, that doesn't sound right.

And yet, what is Jesus trying to get at? What is Jesus trying to say at this

moment? The question then comes is whether or not you truly know you need

forgiveness when you haven't been willing to forgive someone else who needed

it too. And I want to pause because that is really what this entire passage is

turning on. Did the servant really realize what he actually escaped from?

That's the thing that strikes us is that he's over there begging for this not to

happen and it doesn't happen. And then he goes back into his world as if nothing

had happened. Don't we sometimes do that as the church? We say we have been

forgiven of our sins week after week. When we go back into our lives, do we

actually get what we've truly been forgiven of? Do we truly see that when

we are going to our fellow human beings? The thing is that there are many things

that we find ourselves expected to forgive others for. See, sometimes there

are things that we are expected to forgive others for when they do something

on purpose. Whenever somebody you know has said something snide to you at work,

they have deliberately tried to needle you and tried to push you and you know

that they know what they're doing and yet somehow you're supposed to forgive

them for that. But then we pause and we say what about the times when we did

something knowing exactly what we were doing and in the back of our mind what

were we saying? I'm justified in this. They deserve it. They need me to treat

them like this because they need to get how terrible they've been. I need to

show them how terrible that they've been. I'm not supposed to forgive them

because then they won't get. Or the times whenever somebody does something on

accident, like you know using the wrong service bulletin. And as much as we might

think, oh well of course we forgive somebody for doing something on accident.

But do we always? The times whenever we know something wasn't intentional but

in the back of our minds there's still sometimes a little bit of seething. Like

man I can't believe that person did this again. I can't believe that they failed

us again. I can't believe yes it's an accident but they should have done better.

They should know better. But then we don't remember the times when we stumbled.

When we should have known better. When we should have learned from previous things

and we were the ones who need to be forgiven. Or the third time to forgive

someone because of a situation. I was supposed to go see a friend of mine for

dinner a few weeks back. He's been here in Houston because of cancer treatments.

I actually don't know how much longer he has left. But I got COVID. I wasn't trying

to get COVID. I've done everything I can not to get COVID. But I still had it and

I messaged him and I said I can't meet this day. I don't know if I don't know

how bad it is. And then we're like we'll reschedule. Okay and then that day comes

and I'm still not I haven't gotten my second negative test. I haven't even got

the first one yet. And I'm like I want to see you buddy. I really do. And he's like

dude my white blood cell count. I'm like I know I know. And by time I got over it

he was on his way back to Alaska where he lives. There's a good chance I'll see

him again. There's also a good chance I may not on this side of the resurrection.

But the truth is that part of it wasn't even a question of whether he was

willing to forgive me but even whether I'm willing to forgive myself. Because

there have been times whenever others have canceled on me for things and I know

they have a very good reason for why they canceled. And yet there's still this

little piece of me that's like you were supposed to bring the shrink. I'm

pausing and being able to say yeah but how many times have I been forgiven. And

the truth is that sometimes we know we're supposed to forgive. But we don't

always want to. And that was something that I've always kind of like tried to

get in my head. It's like well I don't feel like I want to forgive. Okay but I

know I'm supposed to forgive. Yes okay but there's the seething. Okay yes what

am I supposed to then do about that. Now I'm suffering through this. So now I

can't seem to get over these feelings. Does that mean that now God can't forgive

me. Let's be honest there are things that happen that are pretty terrible. And it

is hard to not have emotions because of those. There's a story of Corey Ten Boom

who's who had been brought in. To a Nazi prison camp at a time after they had

been doing their best. She and her family to hide those who were Jewish from the

government. And that while they were in prison others in her family died. And she

survived long enough to be released from there to be able to leave. But right

before the release. Maybe even just days or weeks beforehand her sister passed as

well. And years later and she was going from town to town country to country

speaking of the forgiveness of God. In a post World War II Europe where people

needed hope. And at the end of one of her speeches comes up a man and she

immediately knows who he is. Because he was one of the guards. And immediately he

comes up and he thrusts his hand in front of her and says I don't know if you

know me but I was one of the guards at this prison and she's standing there

thinking how do you think I don't know who you are. And he puts his hand in

front of her and says I know that God is forgiven but I'm asking for you to

forgive me. What do you think is going through her heart and her mind. You

haven't been in the exact same situation but you've been in situations. Those

moments when you know exactly what they did and you know that they do not

deserve your hand. And all she can do is say God I can't do this but I can put my

hand out. That's the thing is that we're human beings we have not gone through

the resurrection yet we have not been perfected. I do not expect that now after

my magical rocky four words up here that now you have now figured out

everything and your heart will never struggle again. I know mine still does.

But the question is are you willing to try. Because the thing that Jesus is

getting at is that for those who are not forgiving is that they are holding to

something because they think that it matters more than what God would do if

we let go. Because here's the thing. Do we actually want the world to change. Do

we actually want the world to be filled with hope and love and forgiveness. Do

we want those things. Because the thing is that if we're holding on to the

heart and the pain is that person going to see any reason to change. Because the

only thing that actually changes is forgiveness. The actual thing that only

changes the world is sacrifice. The only thing that actually makes a difference

is following after God as we know from the one who did it perfectly. And even as

Christ is saying you are forgiven of all the things that have been in your life.

I'm asking you can you forgive a person for one thing. One thing. And then Peter

says how many times do I have to do it. And no he wasn't making up a number. Seven

really did come from different places. Amos 2 verse 6, Job 33 of

Amos 2:6

various places where the idea of completion where it says forgiving three

times even four. But the thing is is that even there is we still try to limit

ourselves. My challenge to you today is why. So this morning I'm not up here

trying to get you to say okay now you need to keep remembering how terrible of

a person you are. So that you can not like yeah I see you there Yusuf I I know

how terrible you are yeah horrible horrible guy smiling and volunteering all

the time how dare you. But rather is to say all those things have already been

let go. Do you want the joy of the Lord to go further than just you. Because if we

truly want that then we have to ask God why am I holding on to this. How can I

let it go and God if I haven't yet. Can you at least help me to do some things. So

that maybe they don't see the darkness I'm still struggling with. And maybe over

time I can learn how to truly forgive. Because I can tell you. The times whenever

we hold on to it. While we create his pain. But when we can actually let go. Then

maybe the cross goes beyond. Just us. And our own head. Amen.