 January 20, 1999
FAMILY BIBLE SERIES:
Jesus' example calls for
forgiveness in all situations
___ Matthew 18:21-35
___By Doug Riggs
___Woodland Heights Baptist Church, Bedford
___A teacher broke up a fight on the playground, and little Johnny explained what happened. He said, "It all started when he hit me back!" Forgiveness challenges the young as well as the old. But an unforgiving heart hinders the believer from spiritual health and maturity. Anyone who experiences the forgiveness of God can do no less than forgive their fellow human beings.
___ Forgiving principle stated (Matthew 18:21-22). An old saying captures merely human wisdom: "Wrong me once, shame on you. Wrong me twice, shame on me." The rabbis  taught that one should forgive repeated offenses up to three times. Peter more than doubled their popular teaching in his question to Jesus (v. 21). Jesus' response, however, proclaims that forgiveness should be limitless (v. 22). Peter, the rabbis and natural, human wisdom are not even in the same ballpark with kingdom forgiveness.
___ Forgiving principle demonstrated (Matthew 18:23-27). Jesus told a parable that unfolds in three separate acts. The first act reveals great forgiveness the kind that God grants to those who repent. The servant in question owed a great deal of money. Depending on whether the talents were silver or gold, he owed the equivalent of 60 million to 1.8 billion times the average daily wage of that era. His situation was hopeless.
___Nevertheless, the servant pleaded for patience. He even lied when he promised to repay the debt (v. 26). Had he been required to pay back what he owed the king, he would have labored for centuries (up to 5 million years) to do so! He would still be repaying his debt today. Instead of patience, the king gave him a greater gift forgiveness. The king cancelled his debt (v. 27).
___ Forgiving principle denied (Matthew 18:28-30). Act two opens as the man left the king's presence. The servant searched for one who owed him the relatively small sum of 100 days' wages. Given the opportunity and some time, anyone could repay such a debt. However, the recently forgiven man was unwilling to forgive someone else. Instead, he choked his debtor as the law allowed him to do.
___The words of v. 29 should sound familiar. They were the same words spoken in v. 26. Nevertheless, the first servant was unwilling to forgive the second servant. In contrast to his own recent experience, the creditor had his debtor thrown into prison (v. 30).
___ Forgiving principle emphasized (Matthew 18:31-35). An unforgiving spirit may demonstrate that one has not truly experienced God's forgiveness. In Jesus' story, the third act finds the servant once again in the presence of the king (v. 32). The king revoked his own forgiveness in light of the servant's action. If he were going to retain the small debt owed to him, he also would have to experience the consequence of his own huge debt (v. 34).
___God never revokes his forgiveness toward us. However, he expects us to follow his example in dealing with others. The spiritual ability to forgive authenticates God's dealing with us (v. 35). When we recognize our own cancelled debt, we can truly forgive others.
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