Grace Bible Church Expository Sermon Notes

Forgiving One Another Over & Over

Again!
cf. Matthew 18:21-35 The Lord’s Day 2/9/97 AM

Jesus has just given His commands concerning restoring a sinning

believer and church discipline. Those who respond to a private or
public confrontation by turning from their sins, are to be given a full
forgiveness. And evidently this gracious unqualified forgiveness
somewhat shocked Simon Peter, who thought the Lord needed to
modify what He said.

Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall
my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? (KJV)

According to Jewish tradition forgiveness should be granted up to the

fourth offense. Simon Peter had captured some of the merciful heart of
the Lord Jesus and doubled the Jewish tradition and added one more
for good measure. But then Jesus answers by a shocking statement,
which no doubt jolted Peter and the rest of the Apostles into a new
dimension of thinking, increasing the challenge to an unlimited
forgiveness.

Matthew 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven
times; but, Until seven times seven.

The essence of Jesus' answer is that forgiveness is not limited. Even if

a brother sins against me either 77 times or 490 times (Greek text
could read either way) and each time he or she comes and asks
forgiveness, we are to extend a full gracious forgiveness for each
offense. Forgiveness is conditional upon repentance as Luke 17 and
Matthew 18 indicate, but too often we become the judges as to the
genuineness of their repentance. Jesus instead, commands us to
forgive even if someone commits the same offense against us directly
in the same day, seven times and asks forgiveness! Or even is they
continue to offend and ask forgiveness 77 or 490 times, the issue is
that we are to extend an unlimited forgiveness to all. And Jesus knew
this was difficult, so He gave a parable to help us shift our focus. He
said...

Matthew 18:23-25 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a

certain king, who would take account of his servants. And when he had
begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, who owed him ten
thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had nothing with which to pay,
his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all
that he had, and payment to be made.

Jesus’ example of a servant who owes 10,000 talents is the equivalent

of billions of dollars today. The sum was so vast that it was impossible
to repay! To illustrate how great this sum is…

Suppose they were paid in sixpences. The 100 denarii debt could be carried in one
pocket. The ten thousand talent debt would take to carry it an army of about 8,600
carriers, each carrying a sack of sixpenses 60 lbs in weight; and they would form, at
a distance of a yard apart, a line five miles long! The contrast between the debts is
staggering.

So the lord of the servant commanded the servant and his family to be
sold for a partial payment, which was customary during Biblical times.

Matthew 18:26-27 The servant, therefore, fell down, and worshiped

him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then
the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him,
and forgave him the debt.

The lord of the servant forgave the massive debt, out of his
compassionate pity. This illustrates God the Father's unlimited
forgiveness as He releases our unpayable debt of sin. Sin is, "any want
of conformity to the revealed will of God in word, thought or act,"
which would be an unpayable debt to God! Like 10,000 talents,
thousands upon thousands of sins against God, are forgiven when we
trust Christ as our Savior. Then the Lord continued...

Matthew 18:28-34 But the same servant went out, and found one of his
fellow servants, who owed him an hundred denarii; and he laid hands
on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what thou owest.
And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying,
Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but
went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his
fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came
and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after he had
called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all
that debt, because thou besoughtest me! Shouldest not thou also have
had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And
his lord was angry, and delivered him to the inquisitors, till he should
pay all that was due unto him.

The servant who demanded payment and refused to release the debt,
is similar to believers who after receiving the great compassionate pity
from God the Father, refuse to forgive offenses from fellow believers
who come with a repentant request for that. We are to focus on the
wonderful forgiveness that we have received from the Lord, instead of
the offenses received from others! Christians should be constantly
thankful and reflecting on the wonderful gracious forgiveness of their
own many sins, so the few offenses of someone else, although still a
great concern to them, pail in insignificance. When repentance takes
place, the Christian should immediately forgive them in light of the
Father's great forgiveness. Its a matter of focus! Notice also, in Jesus'
illustration that the "wicked servant" was "delivered to the inquisitors,
till he should pay all that was due him." He was not to pay the 10,000
talents back, for that had already been forgiven; but he was to repay
the debt he owed by refusing to forgive a fellow servant. God has some
creative means by which these "inquisitors" exact payment! Someone
has said, "Without forgiveness life is governed by an endless cycle of
resentment and retaliation." They experience the chastening of the
Lord, becoming angry, bitter, resentful and hard. Jesus concludes...

Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you,

if ye, from your hearts, forgive not every one his brother his
tresspasses.

God requires we totally forgive others if they come repentant and turn
from their sin. Forgiven people become forgiving people! cf. Matt. 5:7;
6:14-15; James 1:13. This completes the process of restoration and
church discipline. cf. 2 Cor. 2:5-11.

Main Idea: We are to pursue others to restore them but when we are
not successful privately, we must take witness and eventually dismiss
them from the local church, if need be. But if they repent, we follow
the example of God the Father who has graciously forgiven us from our
many sins, and forgive them. The key is our focus on God's forgiveness
of our many sins.

What Should We do About This Message?

Jesus’ parable corrects our fleshly tendency to withhold forgiveness. Has someone
asked for but not received your full forgiveness? Don’t confuse forgiveness with
forgetfulness, but determine in your heart to forgive that person.

If you have difficulty forgiving someone, your focus is on their offense and not God’s
forgiveness of your own sins. You can change your way of thinking by taking time
daily to reflect on the grace of God’s unlimited forgiveness.