By Mike Friesz
Forgiveness is a long and painful journey. As C.S. Lewis said, “Forgiveness is a beautiful word, until you have something to forgive.”
George Barna did some research on this subject and found that four in ten Christians have difficulty forgiving. No wonder. It is hard work, painful and unending.
This week’s blog continues our discussion of the five outcomes of a life spent growing as a disciple. Like no other topic this one challenges us. You will NOT finish this subject because you have read this blog. You won’t complete the work of forgiveness because you watch the messages or say a simple prayer.
How much do you need this message? Complete an exercise. Look at the list below and count how many of them apply to you. Make one mark if you have:
Been lied to
Had promises broken.
Been neglected by grown children.
Experienced violent crime against yourself or a loved on
Been treated unfairly by an employer.
Had your parents divorce
Experienced the pain of having been slandered or falsely accused.
Had a mate divorce you.
Had your mate committed adultery or other sexual sin
Been rejected by your parents.
Been Stolen from
Have been cheated in a business/financial deal.
Had a rebellious or wayward son or daughter.
Been belittled.
Had an alcoholic parent or mate.
Have been abandoned by a parent or mate.
Been publicly humiliated.
Experienced abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)
How many of these statements applied to you? You were not guilty in any way, but it happened to you anyway. It may have been yesterday, last week, last year, or decades ago. Yet reviewing this list has left your head spinning as you experienced the pain again just thinking about how you were wronged.
Just because you remember the hurt brought on by those events doesn’t mean you haven’t forgiven. But the work may or may not be done. How do you know if your work is done? I suggest you review the statements below. How would you complete them?
Forgiveness is never far removed from Jesus’ lips. He taught often about being forgiven and forgiving others. Society desperately needs this message. You as a disciple need to know and experience forgiveness.
Jesus told us a parable to illustrate the power and necessity of forgiveness. See Matthew 18:21-34.
The Question
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
The parable was occasioned by a question from Peter. He asks how many times he had to offer forgiveness. Doubtless he thought himself gracious by offering to forgive seven times. Commonly someone expected to forgive three times, maybe four. So, Peter was practically doubling what was expected and felt that was sufficient.
Jesus’ Simple Answer
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
The answer is stunning in its simplicity and vast in its application. The translations vary because the Greek is not altogether certain. Is it seventy-seven times or seventy time seven. The discussion would completely miss the point. The fact is we cannot come to the end of our forgiveness.
Anticipating the disciples’ reaction Jesus told a parable.
The Stunning Problem
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.
25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
This part of the parable is astounding in the amount owed by the servant. Jesus intentionally tells the story in such a way that the amount owed was incredibly high. There was no possible way even in a lifetime of service for this debt to be paid. The servant and his children, and their children would never hope to be free of their indebtedness.
But the story is not done there.
The Request and the Answer
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go.
The servant had no expectation but a lifetime of indentured service but pleaded for patience. The word is significant. It is a word meaning to slow boil or melt.
He begged for the master to do a slow boil on his debt.
Amazingly, the master did not just do a slow boil. He didn’t give him a little more time. He didn’t ask him to repay it over time with, of course, some added interest. He cancelled the entire debt. Incredible debt, choking debt, erased. Gone!
Is this not a picture of God’s great forgiveness of believers? Our sin puts are in an incredible debt to the Father. One sin compound on another. Each adds to the incredible debt we would have to pay. We wake up one day and realize that we are hopelessly, incredibly lost in our sinfulness.
And then the Master, God, speaks grace. He offers complete forgiveness. The debt is washed away. He doesn’t ask us to pay back our debt or to earn His grace. He simply gives it.
Psalm 103:12 tells us that our debt is thrown as far as the East is from the West.
Jeremiah 21:34 reminds us that our sins are forgiven and never remembered again.
Micah 7:19 points out that the sin is thrown into the very depth of the sea.
Over and over Scripture reminds us that our debt is gone. Our sins are completely forgiven.
Mike Friesz is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. He can be reached by email at drmikefriesz@sbcglobal.net.
