It was in October 2006.
A gunman took a bunch of hostages
in a one-room Amish school in Pennsylvania, USA.
The result was of that moment that he shot 10 children,
all between the ages of 7 and 12, 13,
five of whom died before he himself took his own life.
Within hours of that tragedy happening,
the Amish community visited both the killer's immediate family
and his parents to express sympathy
for the loss of their father, brother, son.
The Amish, as a community,
the uniformly expressed forgiveness for the murderer.
And this amazed America.
Numerous voices called on America as a nation to follow suit
and to be a country that is more forgiving.
Others commented that,
no, no, no, justice must come first here before forgiveness.
Others commented, in fact, that the secular society
in which they were existing here
can't produce people who handle
that level of injustice and suffering
without some form of retaliation.
You see, their culture, like ours,
is committed to self-realization and self-assertion
with a profound sense of self-entitlement.
We are consistently told that our happiness,
our individual happiness,
our individual interests,
our needs come first.
And yet, there's something in it that says
we cannot live without forgiveness.
No society can, in fact, survive without forgiveness.
When it's absent in a society,
in any sort of community,
with any family,
the results are horrifying.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote,
he who is devoid of the power to forgive
is devoid of the power of love.
And we cannot live without love.
We crave a more loving,
a more generous society.
But instead, what we are existing on,
in right now, in our culture,
is from the schoolyard to the lounge room
to the office, to institution and politics,
we exist in cancel culture,
not forgiving culture.
And so, if you just joined us,
our theme for this term is generous God.
What I've been saying consistently
throughout this series
is that generosity in the Bible
is not less than what we do with our money,
but it's much more than that.
Radical generosity means to be pervasively generous.
It's characterized by our spirit of unselfishness,
of service and generosity
in every single area of life.
And there's a very specific form
of relational generosity
that must characterize every Christian,
and that is generous forgiveness.
And so, grab your Bibles, Luke 17,
St. Paul's app has got an outline.
You'll see the journey there.
We're going to start with the difficulty of forgiveness,
how to practice forgiveness,
and then how to unlock forgiveness.
That's our journey this morning.
So, every one of us
have people out there
who, if you like,
owe us
in some way
because of the way they've treated us
or because of the way that we have perceived
that they've treated us.
And we tend to hold that thing over them
relationally in some kind of way.
We might be demanding of them
or we might just keep it bottled up inside
and we don't speak about it.
Either way,
it's not a radical generosity towards them.
Forgiveness means that we release it.
We need to let it go.
Does that sound hard?
Does it sound hard?
Well, the disciples said,
yes, this is really hard.
They thought it was too.
You see, when Jesus starts talking about forgiveness,
the response of the disciples
is an emphatic,
increase our faith.
Increase our faith.
It's another way of saying,
how on earth is this possible?
How can we possibly live like this?
Verse 4 is the enormity of the challenge
Jesus puts before the disciples.
He says,
if your brother sins against you seven times in a day
and seven times they come to you repentant,
you must forgive.
Now, he's not encouraging them in any way
to calculate how many times
someone sins against you in the course of one day.
The number seven was symbolic for Jewish people.
It's the number that means completeness,
fullness,
perfection,
beyond which no more is possible.
So what Jesus is saying here
is a lot worse than we think it is.
Someone put it like this.
If a person would wrong you
as completely and as fully
as any person
could wrong another human being,
you must forgive them.
Imagine the worst thing
that anyone could ever possibly do to you.
Something so bad
that there's nothing beyond it that's possible.
Jesus turns to his disciples
and says,
you must forgive them.
That's why they're going,
increase our faith.
Increase our faith.
That's impossible, Jesus.
It's an enormous challenge
and yet it's one
that we should not shrink back from
because
Jesus says
there's an enormous danger for you
if you don't forgive.
There's a little phrase
right at the very beginning
of our passage read out for us.
It's easy to ignore.
Verse three,
it says very simply,
watch yourselves.
We are called to
watch ourselves
when we are sinned against.
Which is the exact opposite
of what normally happens.
Normally when someone wrongs us,
we pay a great deal of attention
to them.
Think about how much they've wronged us,
how much they've hurt us.
Jesus says
we are to pay attention to ourselves
because there is so much damage
to ourselves
if we don't.
Watch yourselves.
Watch yourselves
because it is so hard
to admit
how angry you are
at the people
that have wronged you.
We say
I'm fine.
You know,
I'm just a little upset.
And we have to say that
in order to maintain
the image
that we ourselves
are good people.
and so we deny
how embittered
we actually are.
And then we say
things like,
well,
I forgive them
but I don't forget.
Forgive but don't forget.
Which translated
means
I'm not
actively seeking
their revenge
but I'm hoping
they do get
some payback.
Okay.
We should always
assume
this is what Jesus
is saying here
we'll watch
always assume
that you are
more resentful
and less forgiving
and more controlled
by what other people
think of you
than you are.
Than you think you are.
Jesus says
watch yourself
because
it will
destroy you.
Watch yourself
when you are wronged
against
it will
destroy you.
The Russian novelist
Leo Tolstoy
I'm going to mention him
I think in a couple
of weeks as well
a bit more
extensive illustration
but to simply say
he had an extremely
over
inflated view
of himself
is probably a good
way to put it.
He was a
notoriously
difficult individual.
He was married
to a lady
named Sonia
and on the eve
of his wedding
to Sonia
he gave
Sonia
his diaries
for her to read
which included
his many
many sexual
experiences
including
one of which
was with
the servant
who was currently
living and working
with them
and the child
that she had
was his.
Now that should
have raised
a whole heap
of alarms
for Sonia
in that moment
but they
went on
into marriage
anyway
and the early
days of their
marriage
were relatively
happy
but later
on in life
Sonia
herself
was known
to launch
into
jealous
rage
and tirades
when she
was 80
years old
she was
writing in
her own
journal
very very
bitterly
about how
she had
read those
diaries
decades
before
one historian
wrote this
about her
for half a
century
for unforgiveness
blameded her
and in the
process
destroyed
all love
for her
husband
and herself
Hebrews 12
15 says
see to it
that no one
falls short
of the grace
of God
and that no
bitter root
grows up
to cause
trouble
and defile
many
that's why
Jesus is here
watch
yourselves
watch
yourself
because
our
anger
will
always
call itself
justified
it will
always
call itself
truth
and righteousness
and if we
keep a hold
of it
it will
defile us
it's
interesting
that in
the English
language
there are
four words
that all
come from
the same
core root
meaning
wrath
which is
rage
fury
anger
wreath
which is
a twisting
together
of flowers
and vines
and branches
writhe
which is
to be
bent
out of
shape
and contorted
and wraith
which is
a ghost
like image
of someone
just before
or after
death
Jesus
says
watch
yourself
watch
yourself
for the
low level
spiritual
fever
called
self
pity
it will
give you
a sense
of
entitlement
that because
of what
you've
gone
through
you deserve
a break
you deserve
a good
treatment
from other
people
watch
yourself
because if
the good
treatment
does not
come
you will
quickly slide
into
cynicism
a joyless
cynicism
about people
and life
watch
yourself
because you
will pull
yourself
back from
people
for example
watch
yourself
if you
can't
forgive
your
parents
for things
that they've
done
it will
distort
your
relationship
with every
single
authority
figure
in life
watch
yourself
if someone
snubs
you
put yourself
on high
alert
watch
your heart
because
their snub
of you
is in
fact
the least
of your
problems
the least
of your
problems
beginning
of this
year
I said
that
I
told
you
my
new
year's
resolutions
one
of
which
was
to
run
a
marathon
and
second
of which
was
to set
a PB
running
that
marathon
it was
my
first
ever
marathon
and
to set
a PB
doing
it
so
providing
I did
the
first
I would
achieve
the
second
so
two
in
one
go
and
so
I
did
that
Matilda's
didn't
get one
of these
but
it's
too
soon
isn't
it
yeah
there's
a lot
of pain
there
a lot
of pain
this
achieving
this
was
grueling
it
was
grueling
it
was
hard
work
and
I
will
never
ever
do
it
again
the
cost
was
enormous
another
new
year's
resolution
I won't
put it
there
I'll
put it
back
another
resolution
was to
not
purchase
any
new
clothing
except
for
underwear
which
I
don't
bear
second
hand
I
failed
in
that
one
I
bought
this
shirt
this
week
do
you know
the
hardest
new
resolution
that I've
had to
really
wrestle
with
not running
a
marathon
but
this
issue
I
said
one of
my
new
year's
resolutions
this
year
was to
grow
in
self
forgetfulness
and
do you
know
you
cannot
grow
in
self
forgetfulness
without
watching
yourself
ironically
without
watching
yourself
so all
of this
year
since
early
January
this year
I have
slowly
and slowly
been working
through
this book
called
Forgive
by Tim
Keller
I commend
it to
you
I commend
it to
you
and how
hard it
is
to truly
forgive
and how
essential it
is to
forgive
in this
past week
I've come
across four
people from
my past
and every
time the
first thought
in my mind
was how
those people
had wronged
me
Steve
watch
yourself
watch
yourself
so how
do we
practice
forgiveness
there are
at least
three things
that we
must do
if we
are to
avoid
becoming
twisted
and distorted
by bitterness
the first
thing we
must do
is refuse
to
caricature
the
wrongdoer
but we
must
instead
identify
with them
if someone
wrongs us
the first
thing we
do
is emphasize
their faults
and their
failings
Jesus is
making an
important point
here
when he
says
if your
brother
sins
and he's
talking in
this context
about Christians
wronging
Christians
he's reminding
us that we
are part of a
common family
when our
temptation is to
highlight the
differences
Jesus says
no no no
emphasize the
unity
in whose
you are
however the
Bible doesn't
just say
Christians are
to forgive
Christians
Mark 11
25
Jesus says
when you
stand praying
if you
hold anything
against
anyone
forgive them
anyone
it's the same
principle
we must
stress
what we
have in
common
with the
other
person
every human
being is
a complex
individual
made in
God's
image with
great
dignity
and worth
normal
practice
when someone
wrongs us
is to
reduce them
down so
that their
status is
attached to
what they've
done
someone
lies about
us and we
respond with
they are
a liar
when human
beings
sorry
we're human
beings
I'm a
human
being
but my
enemy
becomes
some
sort of
cartoon
character
a villain
we also
share a
common
sinfulness
with all
people
it's
impossible
to stay
angry with
someone
unless we
feel in
some way
superior to
them
when we
say things
like I
would never
do that
we elevate
ourselves
over others
in such a
way that it
makes us feel
morally superior
to them
we might not
sin in the same
way but we
are all just
as sinful
and instead
of caricaturing
them the
enemy we
must identify
with them
we must bring
ourselves down
and we must
lift them up
the second
thing we
need to
do is
to inwardly
surrender
the right
for repayment
and pay
the debt
ourselves
the word
that
the word
for forgive
that Jesus
uses in this
passage
is a very
specific word
that means
to release
a person
from a
financial debt
it means
in fact
to absorb
the debt
yourself
we can
only forgive
if inwardly
we forego
the seeking
of repayment
now this
is exact
opposite of
how I've
reacted on
so many
occasions
especially
with the
people that
I'm the
closest to
if someone
makes me
unhappy
we want to
make them
unhappy
if someone
rejects me
I want to
reject them
if someone
destroys my
reputation
I want to
destroy their
reputation
we trade
hurt for
hurt
hurt for
hurt and
it spirals
down and
down not
just destroying
them but
you in the
process
we might
do it
we might do
it directly
and tell
them off
and make
them feel
incredibly
bad
or we
might do
it behind
their
backs
and gossip
about them
and ruin
their reputation
do it
subtly
because you've
always got to
get behind
someone
before you
can stab
them in
the back
the less
obvious way
we do it
is through
an inward
nurturing
of the
hurt
we
replay the
hurt over
and over
in our
minds
in order
to stay
angry
whichever way
we do
it
we feel
like we're
getting some
kind of
repayment
but instead
it's robbing
us
it's robbing
us of
joy
and peace
and contentment
and we
become harder
we become
bitter
we become
twisted
a lack
of relational
generosity
destroys
us
over the
long term
and for
eternity
we
become
the victim
relational
generosity
might hurt
in the
short term
because we
refuse to
repay and
instead absorb
the debt
but it
leads to
joy
and peace
and freedom
for eternity
the third
thing we
are to do
in verse
three is
if your
brother or
sister sins
against you
rebuke them
that is
it's not
loving
this is to
answer the
justice
question
it's not
loving to
let someone
go on
doing
anything
they want
let's be
frank though
let's be
frank with
this one
and with
this verse
it is so
much easier
to rebuke
someone
I've always
found when
I'm particularly
angry with
them
and want
to give
them a
peace of
my mind
much easier
then
the purpose
of the
rebuke
is not to
put the
other person
down
the purpose
is to lift
them up
it is not
to win
an argument
it is to
win them
over into
relationship
it is to
restore
relationship
not to
further
break
the
relationship
if that's
the case
it's not
just what
we say
it is
how we
say it
and it's
particularly
the motivation
of why
we are
saying it
the truth
must be
spoken in
love
for the
other
person
if we
have not
inwardly
forgiven
the other
person
before we
rebuke
them
then why
are we
rebuking
them
in other
words
what this
passage is
saying
is we
must seek
the good
and we
must will
the good
of the
person that
we perceive
to have
wronged us
if we
do not
seek their
good
then we
haven't
forgiven
them
and therefore
watch
yourselves
so how
do we
unlock this
kind of
forgiveness
my
assumption
is that
if you've
been listening
and feeling
some of
this and
potentially
got some
people in
your mind
already
we're back
to the
plea of
the apostles
here
increase
our faith
this is
very hard
where's the
power to
live like
this
now
fortunately
Jesus has
given us
a great
answer to
that question
in what
follows in
verse 5
what we
have in
verse 5
and to
10
is a
parable
and a
metaphor
connected
together
the parable
starts in
verse 7
suppose
you were
the lord
the master
and the owner
of a farm
and you
had people
plowing the
paddocks
and looking
after your
livestock
at the
end of
the day
would you
say to
them
hey it's
time to
finish up
come on
in
have dinner
would you
say
oh thank
you for
the way
that you've
taken care of
my sheep
and looked
after the
cows
really really
appreciate
that
would you
say that
now us
modern people
would say
well yeah I
probably would
say that
you know
it's good for
staff morale
to affirm
them and
you know it's
a good HR
principle
we would do
that sort of
thing
but this is
first century
Palestine
it is not
western world
and rampant
individualism
and fragile
egos
the apostles
hearing this
would say
no Jesus
we would
never say
that
no one
would say
that
no land
owner
would say
that
these people
in this
parable
are servants
they're not
slaves
they're not
slaves
traded
in the
marketplace
who have
no rights
at all
but on the
other hand
they're not
equivalent to
your modern
employee
either
these servants
were people
who fell
into debt
they became
bankrupt
and instead
of being
put into
prison
they were
given an
opportunity
to work
for the
person
who owed
them
who they
owed the
money to
in order
to work
off their
debt
and it
could be
in first
century
Palestine
in Jewish
law
it could
be for
up to
seven
years
but in
that seven
years
this servant
was never
off duty
until the
debt was
paid
and so
the master
of the
house
would not
thank them
for helping
so much
you owe
them
you were
simply doing
your duty
to pay
down a
debt
and so
Jesus got
the apostles
to imagine
themselves
as the
masters
helping them
to see
that it
would be
inappropriate
for a
servant
to demand
thanks
from their
masters
and the
apostles
go yeah
that's
exactly
right
totally
inappropriate
especially
when the
master in
this case
has been
so gracious
as to
not throw
them into
prison
but has
given them
an opportunity
to get
out of
debt
that's
the parable
and then
Jesus flips
it in
verse 10
so you
also
when you
have done
everything
you were
told to
do
you should
say we
are unworthy
servants
we have
only done
our duty
when you
have done
everything
that you
are told
to do
including
forgive
you should
simply
say I
am doing
my
duty
the
self
righteous
moralistic
religious
person
says I've
done my
duty
God
you now
owe me
the
religious
person
is a
servant
acting like
a master
you owe
me
Jesus
saying
that when
we refuse
to forgive
we are
forgetting
who we
are
we are
servants
acting like
a master
he says
roundabout
way
what he's
saying here
is the
Christian
knows
that they
owe
God
everything
he gives
us
life
he has
brought
us
back
to
himself
at
great
cost
to
himself
he
is
the
king
and
we
are
the
servants
and when
we say
I'm not
going to
forgive
that
person
we are
swapping
roles
we are
playing
God
we think
we know
what people
deserve
when in
fact we
hardly even
know what
they've been
through in
life
what they've
done in
life
or what
their motives
are
Jesus also
uses a
metaphor to
help us see
how we can
live a life
of forgiving
verse 6
if you have
a faith
as small
as a
mustard
seed
you can
say to
this mulberry
tree
be uprooted
and plant
in the sea
and it
will obey
you
Jesus
saying that
if you have
even the
smallest
understanding
of what has
been done
for you
in Jesus
even the
slightest
understanding
that you
are a
sinner
saved by
grace
if we
understand
the good
news
of the
radical
generosity
of God
in the
gospel
to us
he said
you can
forgive
you just
need a
little
you can
just
forgive
just the
smallest
understanding
of that
is enough
to change
your heart
the only
way of
getting out
of the
behaviour
and the
attitude
of being
a servant
acting
like a
king
is in
fact to
marvel
at the
king
who became
a servant
it's the
only way
we will
never be
long
suffering
until we
marvel at
his
suffering
on the
cross
for us
we will
never be
able to
forgive
other
people's
tiny
debts
towards
us
until
we
marvel
at
Jesus
dying
on the
cross
to pay
an
incalculable
debt
that we
owe
against
God
Jesus
is the
judge
of the
universe
who
left
the
judgment
seat
and
got
judged
for us
for our
sin
in such
a way
that it
would
transform
our
hearts
that we
stop
being
judges
of
others
even
as he
was
dying
on
the
cross
even
as he
was
painfully
dying
on
the
cross
his
words
were
father
forgive
them
because
they
don't
know
what
they're
doing
forgive
them
only
as
we
look
to
the
cross
look
to
Jesus
him
there
for
us
can
we
be
changed
to
people
who
radically
generously
forgive
and we're
going to
do that
now
as we
share
in the
Lord's
Supper
it's a
great way
to I
think
to lead
from this
message
into
a
response
to
the
gospel
Matthew
26
we read
when they
were
eating
Jesus
took
bread
and when
he
given
thanks
he
broke
it
and gave
it to
his
disciples
saying
take
and
eat
this
is
my
body
then
he
took
the
cup
and
when
he
had
given
thanks
he
gave
it
to
them
saying
drink
from
it
all
of
you
this
is
my
blood
of the
new
covenant
which
is
poured
out
for
many
for
the
forgiveness
of
sins
and so
I
invite
you
to
come
to
Jesus
Matthew
11
come
to
Jesus
who
says
come to
me
all
who
are
weary
and
burdened
and I
will give
you
rest
take my
yoke upon
you and
learn from
me
for I
am gentle
and humble
in heart
and you
will find
rest for
your souls
come to
the one
who should
be holding
our sin
against us
but whose
heart is
humble and
gentle towards
us
always
grace
I'm
going to
invite my
helpers
down
they're
going to
come and
distribute
this to
you
quickly
I
emphasize the
word quickly
there for a
reason
not that I
want to rush
the process of
your reflection
at all
but
the Lord's
Supper is
an outward
and a visible
sign of the
grace shown to
us in the
Lord Jesus
Christ
and as we
share these
elements together
we are
visually confronted
with God's
love for us
his gentle
and lowly
heart towards
us
for us
who are
unworthy
it's also an
opportunity for us
to be strengthened
by faith in the
one whose body
was given
his blood was
shed for our
forgiveness
so let's pray
Father you are
worthy to receive
all glory and
honor and
allegiance because
you are the one
who created all
things and
sustained all
things by the
power of your
word
we thank you
for the Lord
Jesus Christ
that through
his sinless
life his
sacrificial death
and his
powerful resurrection
he paid the
complete debt of
sin and that
he has forgiven
and eternally
delivered those
who trust in him
from your
judgment we
thank you for
these small
gifts of the
wafer of the
juice and we
pray that we
who take them
now in
remembrance of
the cost of
Christ's
forgiveness of
us his love
for us that
we might
relish in
his forgiveness
for us
particularly as
we look forward
to his
sharing in his
eternal inheritance
we thank you
father that you
spiritually feed us
you nourish us
through your son
Jesus
may we be
strengthened
and comforted
as we remember
that your heart
towards us
is always
gentle and
lowly
sorry Lord
Jesus that we
hold
snubs that we
have received
against others
and that you
have forgiven us
an incalculable
debt
we thank you
that in the
gospel you are
assure us of your
goodness and your
love we pray
that you might
renew us by your
holy spirit and
unite us together
in your son
transform our
hearts that we
might treasure
Jesus above all
things and it's in
his name we pray
amen
you