Forgiveness:

Context:

• Who’s for Jesus? Who’s against Jesus?
• Tempting someone to sin is a scandal.
• Who will care for the needy?
• Who will restore a wayward soul?
• Peter hopes Jesus will set comfortable limits on the requirement to forgive.

What do we know about the number seven?

• It is the symbol of the completion of God’s initial creative action in Genesis.
• It is the symbol of the completion of the end of the age in Revelation.

Does it make sense that seven would be enough times to forgive someone?

• The Jews actually followed the three strike rule - no forgiveness at four.
• Peter more than doubled the number by asking about forgiving seven times.

Matthew 18:22 “...Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times...”

What is Jesus saying about forgiveness?

• It shouldn’t be limited, but rather consistently and continually given.

How and why does this differ from the 3 strikes of Matthew 18:15-17?

• The previous situation described attempts to bring a person to repentance.

• This situation describes offering forgiveness to someone who is repentant.

Luke 17:3-4 “...Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him...”

• The Luke account seems to combine the two concepts.

Luke 17:5 “...The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!...”

What did the apostles know was needed for this type of forgiveness.

• More faith.
• Why is faith needed for God's type of forgiveness?

Matthew 18:23-27 “...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 was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And 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. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt...”

How does this describe our relationship to God?

• We owe more than we can pay. We deserve eternal punishment.

Matthew 18:28-30 “...But when that same servant went out, 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.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt...”

How does this describe our typical dealings with others?

• We should be acting justly and extending mercy.

• We tend to expect mercy and deliver judgment.

Matthew 18:31 “...When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place...”

Does God need someone to tell Him what we’re like?

• God knows everything about us.

• Our advocate in heaven is interceding on our behalf

Matthew 18:32-35 “...Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart...”

What will the heavenly Father do to those who don’t forgive from their heart?

• Place in jail until payment is made in full.

Can payment be made in full?

What does it mean to forgive from the heart?

• To treat as though the offense was not committed.

• To harbor no malice

• To not treat poorly or in an unkind matter.

• To absolutely bury the matter, as far as the east is from the west.