In Matthew 12:21-35 we read an interesting account of Jesus responding to a question from Peter. It was a good question and one that I believe was sincere. Peter was not trying to find a loophole or a way to skirt around an issue. His question was, “Lord, how many times am I supposed to forgive the one who does me wrong?”
What a question, and one that I am sure we all can relate to. Just this morning on the drive to my office my wife and I were conversing about some situations that we are in the middle of. I said, “I am done with __________! The line has been crossed!” I was exhausted from a situation that has been pulling energy and resources from me for far too long, that seemingly has no end in sight. (Don’t try to figure it out: you will never guess what it is or who’s name it is that fills the blank.) If it could sum my thoughts and feelings up in three letters, they would be all capitalized and would look like this: UGH!
Before you pass judgment on me, can you admit for a moment that there have been times that you also have stood in such a situation and spoken words just like mine? Hurts from the careless actions or speech of others wound us and cut don’t they? So like Peter we ask Christ how many more times are we to forgive?
Jesus gives a number in verse 22. Numbers matter but in this situation, it would be sufficient to just read it somewhat like this: “Jesus said unto him, you are to forgive him more times that you can ever imagine.”
And then He launches into a story. Let me just share it in the way that the Message puts it beginning in verse 23: Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his 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 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 of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “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!’ So, 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 went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So, when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So, my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
Here is Jon’s summary: a king offered forgiveness beyond what anyone could have possibly dreamed of receiving. A servant who was forgiven (or given) much instead of living a life of gratitude and compassion immediately sought out someone who owed him little. I speak in the language of coffee, so I would say it like this: the king forgave him millions of dollars of debt and he in response sought out the one who had promised him a cup of coffee back in 1998 who had never made good on his word. Allow me to put some feeling into it with bold and capitalized letters: YOU OWE ME A CUP OF COFFEE as we grab him by the throat. Our friend replies, ‘I don’t even have the extra change for that right now’ so we call the police and have him thrown into prison. Not just a nice prison, but the worst dungeon that we can find in the state. That night we go home and feel so justified at what we have done. We taught him (or her) a lesson. They deserve the pain that we have inflicted upon them.
But the story doesn’t end there. You see, the king that forgave the millions heard about what we did over that cup of coffee that we were owed, and was not pleased. He says we are wicked servants, and there is a price to pay for our actions. For the price of a cup of coffee we are turned over to torturers until we can pay the king back that which he had forgiven us of.
What a passage. I find so many like that today. But you don’t know my side of the story! That’s what I hear a lot. You don’t know and if you did you would agree with me. You don’t get it, I am right. I deserve more. And on and on it goes.
I admit, it is often that I do not know all sides to a story. I often do not know the details. I do not always have the facts. I am ignorant of so many things. But this I do know; we have all been forgiven much. More than we are worthy of being forgiven. You have been given life, a hope, a future… but you are angry about that cup of coffee that you were promised and never given.
We have been forgiven in such a grand way. God’s grace has not been rationed out on a limited basis, rather it has been poured out freely and graciously upon our lives. Think about what God has done for you in just the last year, month, week, day. Did you deserve any of it? You might think so, but the true answer is no. Why then do we demand so much from others and withhold forgiveness and refuse to show grace.
The answer is simple, we believe that we know more than Jesus. Back to verse 22 and Christ’s words: “you are to forgive him more times that you can ever imagine.”
Friends we must forgive, we must show grace, we must get past the destructive and twisted idea that we know more than Jesus. If we don’t we can be sure of the ending that is promised in verses 34-35: And the master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that which was due to him. “So my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother (or sister) their trespasses.”
Father today, help us to forgive as we have been forgiven.
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