Transcript

Matthew 18:15-35 · NOBA @ Noon

Canon Justin Murff: Matthew chapter eighteen verses fifteen through thirty five. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you've gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen to even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and tax collector. Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times? And Jesus said to him, I did not say to you seven times but seventy seven times. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle one was brought before him who owed him ten thousand talents, and since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, have patience with me. I will pay you everything. And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when the same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him he began to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, have patience with me, and I will pay you. But he refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me, and should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I have had mercy on you? And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. The gospel of the Lord We were all made to be in relationship with God and relationship with each other. So it's only natural that Jesus teaches about the Father's heart for us to be in a right relationship with him and a right relationship with each other. But we're sheep, and like sheep we have sometimes gone astray far too easily, and our relationships can be really messy sometimes. Jesus says, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. And if he listens to you, you've gained your brother. See, the first step in addressing a sin or broken relationship is this direct private conversation. It's not gossip, not public exposure, not listing the issue in a prayer group, but it's going to the person, explaining the problem, and seeking a positive resolution. If the private appeal fails, bring one or two witnesses along. Even if that fails, then bring it to the church. And if the offender refuses even the church's appeal, then Jesus uses this very visual and direct language. Let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. This sounds harsh until we remember how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors. Jesus pursued them relentlessly with the gospel. Then comes this remarkable statement. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree about anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in my name, here I am among them. Even in these instructions we see the importance of community and togetherness as an important principle in the kingdom of heaven. Peter then asks about the limits of forgiveness. Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Jesus' answer of 77 times isn't a precise count but a principle. It means unlimited forgiveness. We should show the kind of forgiveness to others that we ourselves have received from Christ. How should the church handle sin amongst its members? How many times must we really forgive other people? And do we really have to forgive them even though they keep hurting us? The truth is, forgiveness is not easy. And sometimes we can only forgive with God's help. So how does this passage shape our lives today? Well, first, it establishes God's heart as the foundation for community practice. We pursue wanderers and the lost because God doesn't want them to be lost. Likewise, we pursue broken relationships and seek reconciliation and restoration, because that's the ultimate goal of our own journey with God, is to be reconciled, renewed, and made whole in a right relationship with Him. Second, it provides a process by which we can address that brokenness. Private conversation first, witnesses if needed, church involvement as a last resort. The goal throughout the entire process though is the right relationship and the restoration of those things which have been broken. Third, the forgiveness mandates challenges our own natural limits. We tend to keep count. We may forgive, but we'll never forget. But Jesus is not removes those limits and tells us that if we're faithful to genuinely repent, he is faithful to forgive and remember our sins no more. I don't know about you, but I'm so thankful that Jesus doesn't keep a laundry list or a clipboard of everything we've ever done wrong and show us it when we come to him for forgiveness and mercy and grace. Finally, the presence of Christ in gathered believers actually transforms our whole community life. Our gatherings aren't merely social They're actually sights of divine presence. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for the forgiveness and love of Christ, and that should actually compel me to extend that same love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness to those around me. So today, examine your relationships. Maybe there's a private conversation that you've been avoiding. Maybe there's some forgiveness that you've been withholding. Why don't we bring these things to Jesus? After all, our relationship with him. Changes the course of everything.