September 14 2014 A Feast: FOCUS on
Forgiveness- *Matthew 18.21-35
Pastor Jacqueline Hines
A man named Joe was on his dying bed.
For years he’d been at odds with Bill, formerly one of his best friends.
Wanting to straighten things out, he sent word for Bill to come and see him.
When Bill arrived, Joe told him that he
was afraid to go into eternity with such bad feelings between them. Then, very
reluctantly and with great effort, Joe apologized for things he had said
and done. He also assured Bill that he forgave him for his offenses.
Everything seemed fine until Bill
turned to go. As he walked out of the room, Joe called out after him, “Now,
just remember, if I get better, this doesn’t count.” *
2000 years ago, the disciples were
gathered around Jesus just as we are today, the focus of their conversation was
forgiveness. They no doubt discussed how to forgive. The answer had to
be by the power of the Holy Spirit [# 1 plug] because
they could not forgive on their own. [#2 power] They
had to have discussed who to forgive. The answer to that was easy. You
are to forgive everyone, no matter how much they hurt you, how much they owe
you, what country they were from, or how much they don’t deserve it. All of
humanity who know the benefits of FORGIVENESS will wrestle with who and how
to forgive those who hurt us. [#3 How…forgive]
The question they dared to ask Jesus out
loud in their discussion focused on forgiveness [
#4 purple forgiveness ] was how many times should we forgive
someone. Obviously, the real question was not how many times do we have to
forgive, but how long do we have to wait before we can get what we
deserve! How long will it be before we
can get what we really want, and need, and desperately long for? How many
times do we have to put up with other people’s mess? [ #5 loving someone ]
A lovely Christian woman told me she was
accustomed to spending time with God in prayer. One morning she was pouring out
her heart to God, saying how much her husband got on her nerves with everyday
irritations. Clearly, she heard God speak to her heart saying, “And he puts up
with you, too.” [ # 6 finger pointing] For every
time of trouble, we are more than ready for the mess to end, and we especially
focus on somebody else’s mess! [#7 DOG]
The disciples had yet to learn the
lesson [ #8 pile of books ] that they were just like
the families in Noah’s Ark. There is always plenty of mess to deal with. [#9 gum on sneaker] Those who want to avoid the mess
have to do it outside the Ark of safety. [ #10 shark]
It’s true. Life has plenty of messy
moments. The only reason we are here today is because we have learned that when
life gives us lemons, [ #11 lemon tree] we make [#12 cut lemon] lemonade. [#13
pitcher of lemonade] It is in our
best interest to kneel [#14 kneeling in prayer] before
God’s throne of grace every day so we can learn what God expects of us. [#15 kneeling hands open] God can teach us how to act
and how to cope during life’s messy situations, situations that are bound to
end up with hurt feelings and a need for forgiveness.
Hurt feelings require the healing hope
of forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean becoming instant friends because we
have to set boundaries. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, because
forgetting risks our losing the lessons we learned and the strength we accomplished
while wrestling with each other’s demons.
“Jesus, should we forgive someone 7
times? [ #16 wooden 7] After all, seven is the
spiritual number for the end, the completion, the finish.” [ #17 people jumping at finish line ]
Perhaps Jesus explained it this way, ‘Now
think about it my beloved, anything as messy as our hurts cannot always be
resolved in a mere 7 acts of forgiveness.’ God knows it may take 17 times, 57
times, or 75 times before forgiveness has finished its work. If we have forgiven
7 times 70 times and we are still counting, that means we are still forgiving.
By the time we get to 490 times we have likely MASTERED the art and the
discipline of forgiveness!! The CHURCH is a storehouse of forgiveness. We
are not wimps afraid to speak out or draw a line and push any devil who tries
to cross the boundaries, but we do forgive.
You would not be here if it were not
for your ability to forgive; we cannot stand to be in the house of God unless
we are upright, upstanding, and under the rule of the God [#18 bowed in pew] whose
mercy and justice and forgiveness are bountiful in our lives. We cannot be “all
that” unless we have learned – to one degree or another how and who to forgive.
The man in Jesus’ parable had some
tough lessons to learn about forgiveness. He was in deep financial debt [#19 Debt]. As Americans, we know all about debt. We
know about student loan debt, [#20 graduate] mortgage
debt, and credit card debt [#21 cutting credit card].
We know about the foreign debt we owe to China and all of our oil exporters [#22 pockets out]. We know what terrorists owe us [#23 Obama]
We know about the emotional debt of
respect, honor, and love owed to us by our children, grandchildren, husbands,
wives, mothers, fathers, family, friends, neighbors, ex’s and vexes. Every day
we awaken hoping to collect the debt that is due us. We want what is ours and
we want it now. [ #24 chalk ]
At the same time how we wish the debt WE
owe could be somehow wiped away. It is often our human nature to do just what
the man in Jesus’ parable did – enjoy the awesome benefits of God’s mercy and
forgiveness, while stingily struggling to give a little mercy and forgiveness
to others. [#25 treasure chest ]
When we count our blessings, including
the many ways we have been forgiven, when we name them one by one, soon it will
surprise us what the Lord has done. When we submit ourselves to the spiritual
discipline of counting our blessings, they multiply and we are less able to blaspheme
or harass God about what others owe us. Gratitude helps us to see that our
lives are full of all the love, attention and gentleness we will ever need.
Life has its burdens, but as the songwriter reminds us:
When upon life’s billows you are
tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all
is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them
one by one…
Are you ever burdened with a load of
care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are
called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt
will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days
go by.
Have you learned any lessons on
forgiveness this year? Sure you have. By now those lessons are a part of your
daily life. Again, you wouldn’t be here if you were not able to forgive. There
is no doubt that forgiveness is deeply embedded in every pore of your life.
Forgiveness is a part of every breath we take, every beat of our heart.
Through the veil of hurt and tears, we
have forgiven and we continue to forgive. [# 26 purple
forgive] Like every cell in your body, your forgiveness is microscopic.
You don’t even know it is there. Forgiveness may be imperceptible, but every
day we appreciate its beauty, its importance, its capacity to generate life in
our hearts, our homes, our communities, our country, and in every corner of the
globe [#27 anger, rage…. ]
We know we have forgiven when we do
three things [#28 key] : First, we have forgiven
when we stop angrily trying to get even and resentfully demand what is owed us;
Secondly, we know we have forgiven when we appreciate the fact that those who
hurt us are human and they too have been hurt too. Thirdly, we know we have
finished the work of forgiveness when we can picture those who hurt us in the
loving arms of Jesus [#29 in arms of Jesus] and
pray that they will be blessed.
We can only do that when we ourselves
have been forgiven. That’s why Jesus teaches us to ask for forgiveness. “Father,
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…. Holy One, Forgive
our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” As we confess to
God, we are forgiven. I John 1.9 tells us if we confess our sins, God is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. The forgiveness we receive is the forgiveness we have to
share. We are not orphans; the love we receive from our heavenly father is the
love we have to share.
As we journey in the footsteps of
Jesus, the hurting people of this world can see the light of forgiveness,
shining from our hearts. Whether we are Arab or Jew, Gentile or Greek, gay or
straight, accepted or rejected, rich or poor, happy or sad, forgiveness makes
us greater than we would be without it. Forgiveness, we have tried it and we
like it. [#30 candles ] Amen.
*How to Forgive by King Duncan –
Sermons.com
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