Matthew 18:21-35

It's been a privilege and an honour to be with you this morning and to share God's word

!

Lord God, maker of heaven and earth, our help is in you. So may now by the power of your

Holy Spirit, will you come and speak to us through your word so that your Son, our Saviour,

may be glorified in our lives. And we ask this in his name. Amen.

On the 8th of November 1987, an IRA bomb exploded in the town of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh,

Northern Ireland. It was a Sunday afternoon and people had gathered in the city, in the

town centre, at the war memorial for a Remembrance Day ceremony. Eleven people were killed, 63

were injured. It became known as the Poppy Day Massacre. The youngest to die that day was

a young lady by the name of Marie Wilson. She'd just recently qualified as a nurse. After the

bomb went off, Gordon Wilson, Marie Wilson's father, lay under the rubble and shouted to

his daughter, are you all right? She found his hand and said, is that your hand, Dad? He said,

are you all right? And she said, yes. He asked her for a fifth time, are you all right? And she said, Daddy,

I love you very much. And those were the last words that she spoke. Hours later, Gordon Wilson gave an interview

with the BBC. I remember as a kid watching it on TV that night. He described with anguish in front of the cameras,

the conversation with his daughter and his feelings towards her killers. She held my hand tightly, he said,

and gripped it as hard as she could. She said, Daddy, I love you very much. Those were her exact words to me.

And those were the last words I ever heard her say. And then, to the astonishment of his listeners, Wilson said these words,

but I bear no ill will. I bear no grudge. Dirty sort of talk of revenge is not going to bring her back.

I will pray for these men tonight and every night. Historian Jonathan Barlin recounts new words in more than 25 years of violence in Northern Ireland had such a powerful emotional impact.

A cup brimful of sweet water.

A cup brimful of sweet water when jolted only spills sweet water.

And that day, Gordon Wilson's cup was violently jolted.

And the only thing it spilled was the sweet water of forgiveness.

And the question is, what gives birth to that sort of forgiveness?

To that sort of quick and unconditional forgiveness?

Perhaps tonight you are here and you are someone who knows the pain of losing a loved one like Gordon Wilson at the hands of the evil acts of another person or group.

And I'm sure you know only too well how deep Gordon Wilson would have to have dug to say those words.

And to live them out in the days and weeks and years that followed.

But for the majority of us here, I imagine that the offenses that we have received are not on that scale.

And we should keep that in mind.

We should keep that in mind.

But they are nevertheless real.

They nevertheless hurt.

And forgiveness is never easy.

That comment that that person made to you that time.

That thing they did to you.

That thing they returned to you in bad condition but never acknowledged that they'd broken it.

That snub at church the other week.

That lie that they told you.

That, that, that.

We all have a that moment, don't we?

But whatever it is that that someone or some group has done to us, forgiveness is never easy.

It always costs.

But if we are Christians, if we claim to follow the Christ,

then forgiveness is not an option.

It's not something that you can choose whether you want to do it or not as a Christian.

Forgiveness is essential to the Christian life.

Martin Luther, the German reformer, said that the continual forgiveness of our neighbor

is the primary and foremost duty of Christians,

second only to faith and the reception of forgiveness.

Second only to receiving forgiveness from Christ.

The continual forgiveness of our neighbor.

And it's in this passage in Matthew chapter 18

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

that Jesus helps us with this issue of forgiveness.

In fact, it is in this parable that we learn how Gordon Wilson could offer

such quick and unconditional forgiveness.

Jesus makes three very simple points in this parable.

Number one.

Our forgiveness of others must be unlimited.

Our forgiveness of others must be unlimited.

Verses 21 to 22.

Then Peter came and said to him,

Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him?

As many as seven times?

Jesus said to him,

I do not say to you seven times,

but seventy-seven times.

Now in order to understand Peter's question,

we have to back up a little and understand the context.

Did you notice the word then at the beginning of verse 21?

Peter only asks this question because of what Jesus has been saying in verses 15 to 20.

There Jesus was addressing the problem of an unrepentant sinner.

If a person sins,

you are to go and confront them.

If they are unrepentant,

you are to go and confront them with their sin.

And if they refuse to repent,

then you get two or three witnesses together.

You confront them again.

And if they refuse to repent,

then you go and tell it to the church.

And then you treat them as an unbeliever.

And Peter says,

Okay, Lord, I get you.

I get what to do if the person is unrepentant.

But what do I do if the person does say sorry and I forgive them?

And then the next week,

they do it again.

And I forgive them.

And then the next week,

they do it again.

And I forgive them.

What do I do then?

And that is the situation that Peter puts to Jesus.

And Peter says,

What about seven times?

Is that enough?

Now, seven is actually a generous number.

The rabbis taught that you forgive someone three times,

a repeated offender.

You forgive them three times.

And after that, no more.

Because if you had to keep forgiving them more than three times,

they clearly weren't repentant the first time.

So, Peter's calculation is generous.

It's double the standard plus one.

So, he's looking all self-righteous.

And look at what Jesus says.

Verse 22.

I do not say to you seven times,

but seventy-seven times.

Some of your translations may say

seventy times seven,

or four hundred and ninety.

But seventy times seven is just another,

it's an idiom in Greek for saying seventy-seven.

Now, the number seventy-seven is not just plucked out of Jesus' head.

It's not just doubling what Peter has said,

seven seventy-seven.

Does anybody in here know where in the Bible

the number seventy-seven crops up?

Genesis chapter 4, verse 24.

Genesis 4:24

If Cain is avenged seven times,

then Lamech seventy-seven times.

Cain felt slighted by Abel

getting favor with God,

and so he avenged him sevenfold by killing him,

and Lamech, one of Cain's great-great-grandsons,

says,

that is nothing to the revenge

that I will execute on the person who wrongs me.

If Cain sought revenge sevenfold,

I will seek it seventy-sevenfold.

It is disproportionate retaliation.

And it's how the world works, isn't it?

A cutting word,

and what's the retaliation?

A raised fist.

A raised fist,

and what's the retaliation?

Lethal weapon.

A lethal weapon,

and what's the retaliation?

Overwhelming force.

Obliterate them.

And Jesus takes this approach,

and he turns it inside out,

upside down,

and back to front.

He says,

in my kingdom,

the attitude of forgiveness

is as far in the opposite direction of Lamech's

as anything you've ever seen.

It is utterly disproportionate forgiveness.

Peter, stop counting.

Numbers and records and lists

are for people who are self-righteous.

Jesus says,

Peter, when my people come to forgiveness,

they are mathematically inept.

If you are counting,

then you are not forgiving.

And then Jesus gives Peter a reason

why our forgiveness is to be unlimited.

And so he tells in verse 23 and following,

a parable.

And through this parable,

Jesus makes a very simple point,

and it's our second point.

Our forgiveness of others is to be unlimited.

That's the first point.

Because God's forgiveness of us is unequaled.

Our forgiveness of others is to be unlimited.

Because, second,

our God's forgiveness of us is unequaled.

Verses 23 to 34.

Now this parable,

we could break it down into three scenes.

The first scene is in the king's audience chamber.

Verses 24 to 27.

And it involves a conversation between a king

and one of his servants.

And then in scene two,

it's in the servant's hall.

Verses 28 to 31.

And it involves a conversation

between the first servant,

who met with the king in the audience chamber,

and a second servant.

And then the third scene

returns to the king's audience chamber.

Verses 31 to 34.

As the king readdresses the first servant.

So it's a bit like an episode of Downton Abbey.

Right?

You've got Lord Grantham.

He addresses Thomas in the main living room.

And then Thomas addresses Mr. Bates

in the servant's quarters downstairs.

And then the other servants get wind

of what's happened.

And the whispers filter back up

into the main house.

And Lord Grantham finally calls Thomas

back into the living room.

And they have a conversation.

So it's an ancient episode

of Downton Abbey.

Well, let's take a look at scene one.

Verses 23 to 24.

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven

may be compared

to a king who wished to settle

accounts with his servants.

When he began to settle,

one servant was brought to him

who owed him

10,000 talents.

Now in the first century,

kings often lent money and resources

to provincial governors

and civil servants.

They would come, receive the money,

and they would go away

and invest the money

and then eventually pay back

the king,

the loan that he had given them.

So the scenario Jesus paints here

was really not that surprising

to the audience.

What was surprising,

what was mega surprising,

was the amount the servant owed.

10,000 talents.

The annual taxation

of Judea, Edomia, and Samaria

together was 600 talents of silver.

It was more,

10,000 talents was more

than the entire coinage

in circulation in Egypt at the time.

Okay?

So this is surprising.

Let me try and give you some

indication of how much money this was.

A talent was the highest

denomination of currency

in those days.

It's a bit like our 50 pound note.

And it was a piece of silver

that weighed about 30 kilograms.

That's about four stone.

That's heavy.

Okay?

You've got to carry a talent around.

A worker in these days

earned a denarius

for a day's work.

One talent was worth

6,000 denarii.

So one talent

was 6,000 days

of work.

That's about

half a lifetime

of work.

One talent.

And this guy,

how much does he owe?

He owes

10,000

talents.

That's 60 million

denarii.

That's

300 tons

of silver.

That's

60 million

days of work.

That's

what he owes

this guy.

One commentator

says the equivalent

of in our days

not millions,

not billions,

not even trillions.

What he owes him

is

zillions.

So,

here's

hyperbole

if you were here

this morning.

And Jesus

is working

it to good effect.

This guy owes

an unimaginable

incalculable

debt.

So of course

the servant

can't pay it back.

Verse 25

And since

he could not

pay his master,

since he could not

pay,

his master

ordered him

to be sold

with his wife

and children

and all that he had

and payment

to be made.

Now this

was common enough

in the Gentile world.

If you had a debt

and you couldn't pay it

then you were sold

into service

or slavery

of the person

you owed the money to

or you were sold

to someone else

and the money was given

to pay off the debt.

Now the price

of an average slave

could reach up

to one talent.

It was actually

more about

a tenth of a talent.

About 500 denarii.

500 days wages.

Now unless

this guy

is the most

fertile man

in the world

never mind

the Middle East

with about 500

kids running around

he ain't ever

going to pay

this back.

So even

the king's request

that this servant

and his family

be sold

into his service

or someone else's service

and the money

from that

paid back to him

is itself

an act of mercy.

This guy

would probably

have raised

about seven

talents

from selling

him

and his kids.

But he owes

10,000 talents.

So even

in these early

stages

there is

God's

divine

mercy.

And the servant's

response

is to fall

on his knees

and make a plea

to the king

verse 26.

So the servant

fell on his knees

imploring the king

have patience

with me

and I will

pay you

everything.

Now think about

how unrealistic

that is.

If you just

be patient

and give me

600 million

days

I'll get you

the money.

Never in his

lifetime

would he pay

this back

and the king

knows it

and so he

responds

in verse 27

and out of

pity for him

the master

of that servant

released him

and forgive him

the death.

Now the word

pity is a bit

weak.

Even if you

have an NIV

or an ESV

it's a weak

translation.

The equivalent

in English

is really

that the king's

heart wrenched

that he was

gutted

as he looked

on the poverty

of this man.

The word is

used of Jesus

a number of times

it's translated

compassion

in the gospels

elsewhere.

It is a deep

gutted

feeling of

compassion

for someone

who is

completely

helpless.

And that

is what

this king

feels

towards

this servant

and he

releases him

from the

debt.

Now this

parable

helps us

to understand

what forgiveness

is.

I think

in the

evangelical

church

today

there are

a lot

of

superficial

understandings

of forgiveness.

People think

forgiveness is

just brushing

something under

the carpet

or just

brushing it

off.

or if

you do

go to

raise an

issue

with

someone

and they

say

well if

you're a

Christian

you're

supposed to

forgive me

so why are you

raising this

issue with me?

But what this

parable teaches us

is this

to forgive

someone

is to put

the offense

with its debt

on the table.

Do you notice that?

Jesus puts

a number

on the debt.

He says

there's a debt

and it's on the

table

and only then

and only then

when the debt

is put

on the table

is the

offender

to be released

from paying

that debt.

That is what

forgiveness is.

It does not

involve brushing

the debt

under the

carpet.

It involves

putting the

debt

on the

table.

Naming

it

blaming

it

condemning

the offense

and then

releasing

the person

from having

to pay it.

And what we

have here

is an

unimaginable

debt

and an

unmanageable

debt.

It is

unpayable

and yet

it is

completely

wiped out.

Completely

wiped out.

And Jesus

wants us to be

amazed at the

forgiveness of

this king.

It is full.

It is free.

It is complete.

No strings

attached.

And that

is a picture

of forgiveness.

Now we

come to

scene

two.

Thomas

and Mr.

Bees

down in

the

servants

quarters.

The

camera

leaves the

king's

audience

chamber

and it

moves

downstairs.

The

conversation

of the

second

scene

follows a

similar

pattern to

the first

scene but

there are

some surprising

differences.

Verse 28

But when

the same

servant

went out

who had

been

forgiven

he found

one of

his

fellow

servants

who owed

him a

hundred

denarii

and seizing

him he began

to choke

him saying

pay what

you owe.

Now do you

see the

difference?

Ten thousand

talents

one hundred

denarii.

Now that was

a hundred

denarii was not

an insignificant

amount of

money.

In those

days it was

a hundred

days wages

it was three

or four

months work.

This fellow

servant owed

the first

servant a

hundred

days work.

For us

that would

probably be

equivalent of

five to

ten thousand

pounds.

That's not

insignificant.

If someone

owes you

five to

ten thousand

pounds you'd

expect them to

pay it back

wouldn't you?

But in

comparison to

the first

debt how

significant is

it?

Completely

insignificant.

It is one

six hundredth

of the first

debt.

Hundred

denarii

ten thousand

talents.

It's not even

comparable.

But what is

also not

comparable is

the first

servant's

response to

his debtor.

The king

responded

calmly

reasonably

that him

and his

family should

be sold

but now that

the shoe

is on the

other foot

do you see

the response?

Pay what

you owe.

And he

starts choking

him.

What is

interesting is

that the

servant in

debt offers

virtually the

exact same

plea for

patience and

more time as

the first

servant.

Did you see

that?

In verse

26 the

first servant

says have

patience with

me and I

will pay you

back.

Unlikely.

Six hundred

million days of

work.

This guy says

have patience

with me and I

will pay you

back.

Very reasonable.

A hundred

days work.

let me work

for a hundred

days and I'll

pay you

back.

But this

servant responds

with ruthless

unforgiveness.

The king

forgave a debt

that was

unmanageable

unimaginable

and this

servant will

not forgive

a debt

that is

minor.

And we

are supposed

to feel

indignant

indignant

at this

injustice.

Well the

rumours of

what has

happened in

the corridors

of the

servants'

quarters then

filters back

up into the

king's audience

chamber which

brings us to

scene 3

verse 31

to 33.

When his

fellow servant

saw what had

taken place

sorry the first

servant had him

thrown into

prison until he

could pay it

back.

And then scene

3 when his

fellow servant

saw what had

taken place

they were

greatly distressed

and they went

and reported it

to their

master all

that had

taken place.

Then his

master summoned

him the first

servant and

said to him

you wicked

servant I

forgave you

all that

debt of

10,000

talents

because you

pleaded with

me and should

you not have

had mercy on

your fellow

servant who

owed you

a hundred

denarii

as I

had had

mercy on

you.

So the

point of

the parable

is simple

our

forgiveness

of others

must be

unlimited

because God's

forgiveness

of us

is unequaled.

Our

forgiveness

of others

must be

unlimited

because God's

forgiveness

of us

is unequaled.

And this

is why

Gordon

Wilson was

able to

express love

and forgiveness

forgiveness

to his

daughter's

killers

only hours

after losing

her so

tragically

because he

was a

Christian.

He was a

Christian who

understood

that what he

owed to

God was a

zillion times

more than

what these

murderers

owed to

him.

no one

could ever

grieve him

or offend

him more

than he

had grieved

or offended

God.

And I

think the

reason why

as Christians

and as

human beings

in general

why we

struggle to

forgive is

because we

have lost

the proportionality

of our

offense to

God and

the

disproportionality

of his

response to

us.

We have

lost the

proportionality

of our

offense to

God and

the

disproportionality

of his

response to

us.

Our

offense to

God is

directly

proportional to

his dignity,

to his

being.

It's not

the length

of our sin

that determines

the debt we

owe God.

It is the

height of

our sin.

It is the

gravity of

what we

have done.

Let's

say a

young boy

is playing

with his

sister in

the living

room and

there is a

bit of an

argument and

she steals a

toy from him

and he

slaps her in

the face.

Do you

think the

boy should

be punished?

Well,

yeah.

He's just

slapped.

Let's say

it's a

brother,

sorry.

He slaps

his brother

in the face.

Let's say

the next day

he's playing

with his

sister and

the same

thing happens

and he

slaps his

sister in

the face.

Should he

receive the

same punishment

for slapping

his sister

in the face

as he did

for slapping

his brother

in the face?

I would

say no.

It should

be a more

severe punishment.

What if

the mother

comes into

the room

and there's

an even

bigger fight

and he

turns around

and he

slaps his

mother in

the face?

Should the

punishment he

receives for

slapping his

mother in

the face

be more

than what he

received for

slapping his

sister in

the face or

for slapping

his brother

in the face?

Let's say

he passes

his Duke of

Edinburgh

award and

for some

reason the

Duke of

Edinburgh

doesn't turn

up and the

Queen turns

up to give

him the

award.

And for

some reason

as she goes

to shake

his hand he

decides to

slap the

Queen in the

face.

Now do

you think he

should get

the same

discipline for

slapping the

Queen in the

face as he

did for

slapping his

younger brother

in the face?

Well of

course not.

The punishment

is calculated

on the

dignity of

the person

that you

have offended.

The height

of our sin

is determined

by the

dignity of

the person

we have

offended and

God does

not differ

from the

Queen in

degree but

in kind.

He does

not differ

from the

Queen in

degree.

He's not

just one

notch up

from the

Queen.

He is in

a different

category

altogether.

And if

that is who

we have

offended,

the most

beautiful and

lovely and

excellent and

glorious and

majestic and

winsome and

delightful being

in the

universe,

if that is

who we

have offended

then we

owe him

infinitely.

We deserve

infinite punishment

if we have

not honoured

such a being.

That is what

creates the

incalculable

debt.

We slap

in the face

the creator

of the

universe.

And we

don't just

slap in the

face as

our

maker.

Actually

when he

came among

us,

what did

we do

to him?

We slapped

him in

the face

physically.

We stuck

him on a

cross.

The most

meek and

humble of

all men

who ever

walked the

face of

the earth.

And if you

and me had

been there,

we would

have slapped

him in

the face.

ashamed,

I hear

my mocking

voice call

out among

the scoffers.

It was my

sin that

held him

there until

it was

accomplished.

Our

offence to

God is

directly

proportional to

his being

and dignity.

And what

was God's

response to

our sin,

to slapping

him in the

face as our

creator?

He sent

his one

and only

son to

be the

savior of

the world.

What was

Jesus'

response when

we slapped

him in the

face?

Father,

forgive them

for they do

not know

what they

do.

And what

was God's

response?

Did he

punish us

instead of

Christ when

we slapped

him in the

face?

How great

the pain

of searing

loss.

The

father

turns his

face away

as wounds

which mar

the chosen

one bring

many sons

to glory.

God the

father punished

his own

incarnate son

to save us

from himself

and he did

so in the

very moment

of the most

violent expression

of our

hatred of

his son.

In the

most violent

expression of

our hatred

of his son

God the

father did

not come

down and

rescue his

son but

he let it

play out

so that he

might forgive

us.

Well might

the sun in

darkness hide

and shut

his glories

in when

Christ the

mighty maker

died for

man the

creature's

sin.

Thus might

I hide my

blushing

face while

his dear

cross appears,

dissolve my

heart in

thankfulness

and melt

my eyes

to tears.

But drops

of grief

can ne'er

repay the

debt of

love I

owe.

Here

Lord I

give myself

away,

tis all

that I

can do.

The debt

of love

I owe.

This is

the well

from which

Gordon Wilson

drank in the

bitter moments

of losing

his daughter.

Our

offense to

God is

directly

proportional to

his dignity

and his

response to

us is

completely

disproportional

to what we

did to

him.

We slapped

him in the

face as our

creator, we

slapped him in

the face as

our saviour,

we spat at

him, we

crucified him

and he

said I

forgive you.

I forgive

you.

And that

is Jesus'

point.

Our

forgiveness of

others must

be unlimited.

Why?

Because God's

forgiveness of

us is

unequal.

But Jesus

does not

leave it

there.

He has a

final point

to make in

verses 34

to 35.

Unforgiveness

of others

is unforgivable.

Unforgiveness

of others

is unforgivable.

He ends

the parable

with a

warning and

in anger

his master

delivered him

to the

jailers, the

first servant,

until he

should pay

all his

debt.

And so

also my

heavenly

father will

do to

every one

of you if

you do

not forgive

your brother

from your

heart.

Jesus is

saying,

Peter,

forgiveness

is not

optional for

you.

Forgiveness

is not an

added extra

of the

Christian life.

It's not

like when

you go to

buy a

car,

they say

would you

like tinted

windows or

not?

Do you want

air conditioning

or not?

Do you want

a stereo

system or

not?

It's not

like when

you become

a Christian

God says,

do you want

to add on

that you need

to forgive

people or

should we

just leave

that off?

Jesus comes

to us and

says,

you cannot

expect

unequaled

forgiveness

from God

and then

limit

your forgiveness

to others.

You can't

expect God

to stop

counting your

sins and

then you

keep counting

your

offenders

sins.

Now this

is not a

threat.

If you

don't

forgive

then God

will take

away your

salvation

as if your

salvation is

earned on

the basis

of you

forgiving

others.

This is

not purgatory.

You're

saved and

if you

don't

forgive

then you

go to

hell and

you pay

for it

for a

bit.

You pay

for your

unforgiveness

and then

you get

released

after that.

Now Jesus

is not

saying that

your forgiveness

of others

guarantees or

maintains

your

forgiven

state before

God.

Jesus is

making a

very simple

point and

it's this.

Forgiven

people

forgive.

Unforgiven

people

don't

forgive.

Forgiven

people

forgive.

Unforgiven

people don't

forgive.

If you

forgive others

it simply

demonstrates

that you

have understood

God's

forgiveness

of you.

To not

forgive others

is to

receive God's

punishment.

Can I

put it

as starkly

as Jesus

does here

hell is

for those

who will

not

forgive.

C.S.

Lewis

put it

starkly

we must

forgive

all our

enemies

or be

damned.

To not

forgive from

the heart

is to show

that we've

never really

grasped

forgiveness.

forgiveness.

And that's

the point

about the

first servant.

He had

not ever

really grasped

what the

king had

let him

off with.

And that

is why

he wouldn't

offer

forgiveness

to a

fellow

servant.

the reason

Gordon

Wilson could

stand before

the world's

media that

day only

hours after

losing his

daughter and

speak words

of love and

forgiveness

was because

he had

grasped the

gospel.

Or rather

it had

grasped

him.

But God

demonstrates his

love for us

in this.

While we

were still

sinners.

Not while we

had repented.

Not after we

had repented.

While we

were still

sinners.

Christ

died for

us.

You see

on your

service sheet

we have

the Lord's

Prayer.

And it's

appropriate I

think to

pray this

together now

keeping in

mind in

particular the

fourth line

forgive us

our sins as

we forgive

those who

sin against

us.

We'll have a

moment of

quiet reflection

and then we'll

say this

prayer together.