Sermon Tone Analysis

Generosity, Grace, and Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

Secular:

*  I remember…

*  Tourists in Vancouver…

*  Top of Grouse… Grouse Nest

* Went with friends… warned them about the cost…

* $10- soup… $14 dessert… $40 entrees

* Tram ride… great service… excellent view…

*  End of meal… negotiate a $2.00 cup of coffee

*  Out of place… willing to spend the 50-60 person… hedge on the $2.00

*  Food service… big table expensive meals… bottle of wine… cheap tip…

* Conversely… the obviously less wealthy… pleasant experience and generous gratuity…

*  If our lives we often mishandle forgiveness…

* We dine freely at the luxurious… glorious banquet that God through his grace and generosity supplies…

* And squabble over, even begrudge, $2.00 worth of forgiveness

*  Forgiveness is so much more than the offering and accepting of an “I am Sorry”

Biblical:

Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?

Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

24 "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25 "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' 27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' 29 "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' 30 "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

32 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

33 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' 34 "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

35 "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

Personal:

*  Kids are honest…

*  Probably should avoid playing poker

*  It is too easy to read them…

*  When they fight… we ask them to apologize

*  You can hear it all in their voices

* Displeasure

* Genuineness ~/ Insincerity

* sadness

*  You can gauge how the apology is going

* But genuine forgiveness isn’t in the words or emotions

* It is in the choice

Bridge:

*  God by divine action choose, through Jesus, to forgive us

* The king in the parable choose to forgive the slave

* The slave choose not to forgive the other slave

* Forgiveness is so much more than the offering and accepting of an “I am Sorry”

* IT IS A CHOICE

Body:

The Command

21b "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?

Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

* Bible is clear… forgive… even when we don’t want to…

* Forgiving rests in the forgiver…

* It wasn’t how often must they be contrite… how much should they beg… how long do I hold it over there head… 1 Cor 13… no record of wrongs

* The simple question…

* How many… seven ( a lot… Jewish rules Talmud… rabbi’s ruling 3…)

* Seven was going above and beyond…

* Jesus says that isn’t even close…

* Not only 7 (the number signify perfect…)

* 70x7 (perfect and complete…)

* Like Jesus...

* /Luke 23:34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

– didn’t even apologize/

*  Forgive like this…

*  To help understand… Jesus shares the depth of Forgiveness… in a parable…

 

The King…

23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

24 "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25 "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' 27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

*Justice*

*   The King could demand payment…

*  The King could exact it… jail him… sell him… enslave him…

*  The King had a right…

* "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

*Generosity*

* The King responded out of his generosity… forgiveness stems from a willingness to be generous to others… 

* Generosity…  is recognizing true value… and giving freely

* This was not some loyalty play…

* The King didn’t stand to benefit…

* Multi-year payback plan…

* Incalculable debt… probably a tax collector who stole… not a normal amount…vast… huge…

*  This not the most hospitable situation for forgiving…

*  Yet… it is in this very context… that the King out a ton of money… shows his generosity… he is giving freely  FINANCIAL ATROCITY

* Generosity…  is giving without expectation

 

*Grace*

*  Unmerited favour…

*  Justice (his to give)-… Generosity…  Compassion… mercy…

*  "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

* Imagine the burden of  debt…

* You drive the car…

* Holidayed

* Fed the family…

* Feel the burden…

* It is due…

*  

 

Forgiveness

* Not just walk away from what is due

* Not covering our anger with a solution

* Not about a mandate