Sermon - 15th Sunday after Pentecost - Matthew 18:21-35

Matthew 18:21-35

“How Much Forgiveness?”

Last week I mentioned the preaching challenge of tying together a number of seemingly disconnected thoughts in the Gospel reading.  Today, in the same chapter, there is another preaching challenge.  This parable, called the parable of the Unmerciful Servant or the Unforgiving Servant – is a tough one.  And I’d like to take an unusual approach to this reading today and work backward.

It’s tough, partly, because it ends on such a harsh note.  “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”  Those are tough words from Jesus.  For several reasons:

It’s a threat of punishment for being unforgiving.  And we saints who are still sinners – don’t always forgive as we should.  This is some harsh law for us.  In the parable, it meant that the wicked servant was thrown into prison until he could pay his debt – which was really a life sentence since his debt was so great.  But for us, the debt of sin would leave us with an eternal sentence.  We can never hope to pay back our sin, our unforgiving-ness.  And so the punishment Jesus threatens is serious indeed.

But not only do we not forgive as often as we should, but he also adds this little qualifier:  “From the heart”.  Stick the knife in deeper, Jesus!  For how many times have you SAID you forgive someone, but you don’t mean it, not truly, fully, from the heart.  It’s an outward act of forgiveness – done out of obligation, or so you don’t look petty before others – but in your heart of hearts you hang on to that hurt.  You nurse the little grudge and keep that sin on your scoresheet.

The point of this parable is that this is not how it should be for us.  It’s a word of law – that Christians ought to forgive.  In fact we must.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is not in the business of idle threats.  His words are true.  But, of course, this isn’t the only word on the matter.

Earlier in the parable we see another picture.  It’s the man who had a great debt and begs for mercy.  The servant himself.  Notably, he begs for time to pay – as if he ever really could – he asks for patience from the master.  But the master doesn’t put him on a payment plan.  He just forgives the debt. All of it.  Every last penny.  He gives far more and far better than servant asked.  And he gives it freely. It is, of course, a picture of how God forgives us in Christ Jesus.

What a picture of forgiveness!  It’s very similar to the example we have from Genesis this morning – where Joseph forgives his brothers.  Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers, who then told his father Jacob he was dead.  Joseph, whom God had blessed nonetheless, even to the point of making him the second most powerful man in Egypt and probably the whole world at that time.  Joseph who now stood in judgment over his brothers, the shoe on the other foot finally, they found themselves literally at his mercy.  He had forgiven them before – but now their father Jacob was dead, and they feared Joseph would feel free to show his true colors, to finally exact the revenge they knew they deserved.  After all, we know how this works.  You were being nice to us for the sake of old Dad, right, Joseph?  But now that he’s gone… will you finally unleash your vengeance?  Will we see the grudge you’ve surely been harboring?

But in a poignant moment of brotherly reconciliation, Joseph shows his faith by again forgiving his brothers.  He comforts and cares for them, speaks kindly to them.

What a picture of Christ!  The brother who loves us, though we have wronged him so deeply.  The one who forgives us our sins freely, comforts and cares for us.  Joseph was as good as dead, but made an amazing comeback with the blessing of Almighty God.  Jesus really did die – horribly so, for the sins of the world, for the sins of those who crucified him.  But even then he was praying for their forgiveness.  And then, Jesus was restored, resurrected, ascended and enthroned on a throne much higher than Joseph’s!  And one day he will come to judge the living and the dead. How will it be when his brothers stand before him?  Will he finally give us what we deserve?  Or will he welcome us, comfort us, and speak kindly to us?

This is one of those passages that is unlocked by the distinction of law and gospel.  According to the law, we must be lost – for we do not “forgive from the heart”.  But according to the Gospel – we must be forgiven, for Jesus Christ is the kind judge, king, master and Lord.  He has paid the debt, canceled it and removed it, blotted out our iniquities and forgiven our transgressions.  Otherwise his cross means nothing.

And so, if we look at ourselves, our lives, our behavior, our heart – we will see only judgment and death.  We will have that threat of punishment ever ringing in our ear.  But if we look to Christ – there is only love, forgiveness, and mercy.  He forgives our every debt each time we fall before him in repentance.  Each time we pray the prayer he gives us – and say – forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And working even further backward in the text, we come to what precipitated this whole thing.  Peter’s question about forgiveness. 

Dear Peter.  Always the first to speak and act, but not always to his credit.  Yet his question here is instructive.  Jesus had just been discussing forgiveness of your brother who sins against you… and so Peter asks for clarification. “How many times shall I forgive my brother, seven times?”

Now it’s often been said that Peter thought he was being generous.  How many wouldn’t even give one shot at forgiveness?  Or maybe once, but then they won’t be fooled again.  But this is more.  This is no three-strikes-and-you’re-out standard of forgiveness.  Peter picks seven – forgive the brother once for every day of the week!  But surely there must be some limit, right Jesus?  Isn’t there a line, eventually?

And Jesus’ answer blows Peter out of the water. Not 7 but 70 times 7!  Which is, not to say, literally 490.  But that we should forgive and not keep count.  That’s kind of the whole point of forgiveness – the sin is gone.  It’s off the books.  Erased, blotted out, forgotten.  Forgiveness is exactly the opposite of keeping score, tallying sins.  It’s letting it go, and never looking back.

Such is God’s forgiveness of us in Christ.  He remembers our sins no more.  He separates them as far from us as the East is from the West.  He does not count men’s sins against them, for if he did, who could stand? 

We would need a number far larger than 490 or 490 million if our sins were marked and charted.  But thanks be to God for the mercy of Christ, who takes them all away.  Now Peter, now Christian, go and do likewise.  Your debt is paid.  Your sins are forgiven.  Why would you hold even one sin against your brother?  If Christ has done so much for you, why wouldn’t you earnestly desire to do the same for your fellow Christian, especially?

Forgiveness is free and unlimited, or it’s not really forgiveness at all.  It’s not just the quantity, either, it’s the quality.  It’s the big sins and the little sins, the few and the many.  It’s the sins of thought, word, and deed.  The sins done and the sins of things left undone.  The sins against God, the sins against neighbor, the sins against self.  All are forgiven in Christ.  Thanks be to God.  Now go and do the same for your neighbor.  Forgive from the heart. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.