WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.080 We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christ Church. 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:11.580 This material is copyrighted and no unauthorized duplication, redistribution, or any other 00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:15.280 use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christ Church. 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:22.620 Please consider donating to this work in the San Francisco Bay Area online at ChristChurchEastBay.org. 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:35.140 Today's reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 18, verses 21 through 35. 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:38.880 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:43.359 Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:44.939 Up to seven times? 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:51.240 Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:57.120 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:03.320 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:11.420 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. 00:01:12.340 --> 00:01:15.040 At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:19.180 Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. 00:01:19.180 --> 00:01:24.800 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.640 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. 00:01:31.160 --> 00:01:33.700 He grabbed him and began to choke him. 00:01:34.320 --> 00:01:36.040 Pay back what you owe me, he demanded. 00:01:36.660 --> 00:01:39.240 His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.060 Be patient with me, and I will pay it back. 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:43.500 But he refused. 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:48.560 Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:55.540 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:58.420 Then the master called the servant in. 00:01:58.960 --> 00:02:00.719 You wicked servant, he said. 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.519 I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 00:02:05.219 --> 00:02:09.240 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you? 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:15.760 In anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. 00:02:16.540 --> 00:02:22.980 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you, unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:27.360 Good morning, Christ Church. 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:30.980 I want to congratulate you all for making it here today. 00:02:30.979 --> 00:02:34.060 Today, we're in about 40 to 60 minutes. 00:02:34.139 --> 00:02:35.439 There are going to be other people gathering. 00:02:36.340 --> 00:02:39.379 If you could just make some room for them as they stumble in. 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:44.219 We've made the coffee extra strong today at our community time. 00:02:44.519 --> 00:02:53.299 And, you know, as much as I dislike daylight savings time in the spring, I really love March Madness. 00:02:53.659 --> 00:02:56.139 So you should just know that for the next month. 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:58.719 I'm going to be on sort of an emotional roller coaster. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:01.419 This morning, I'm on a high, so go Duke. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:11.900 But as we get back into the Gospel of Matthew this morning, Matthew chapter 18, Jesus' sermon on the church, his sermon on church community, 00:03:12.780 --> 00:03:20.719 we remember kind of where we've been, which is that in Matthew 16, Jesus gave this incredible promise. 00:03:21.539 --> 00:03:27.099 He said, I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 00:03:27.099 --> 00:03:35.379 And we've been looking now in Matthew 18 these past few weeks where Jesus is now outlining his blueprint for the church 00:03:35.379 --> 00:03:41.079 and how he wants to build his church according to his design, his architectural plans. 00:03:41.819 --> 00:03:46.479 And I actually want to invite you, if you would, to take one of the Bibles in your pew. 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:51.879 You can open that up, and you can turn to page 799. 00:03:52.699 --> 00:03:56.679 Page 799, that's where we are today in Matthew chapter 18. 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:05.280 And you'll notice there at the top of that chapter in verse 1, the disciples asked this question of Jesus. 00:04:05.519 --> 00:04:11.919 And the question is this, who is the greatest in the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven? 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:16.719 And Jesus has been giving this very long and deep answer to that question. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:20.259 He says, well, this is how you're to live as the family of God. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:24.219 This is how you're to relate to one another as children of the living God. 00:04:24.719 --> 00:04:31.919 Members of my disciple community, citizens of the kingdom of God, I want you to be like this and act like this and think like this. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:40.340 And so he launches in in verse 2, and it says that he called a little child whom he placed among them. 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:49.900 And from verses 3 to 6, he defines greatness in the kingdom of God as someone who has true humility like a small child. 00:04:50.840 --> 00:04:57.080 And he says it's with that humble attitude that you look out for the best interests of the other disciples in this community 00:04:57.080 --> 00:05:00.580 and you welcome them and you serve them in true humility. 00:05:00.579 --> 00:05:04.259 And then in verses 7 through 11, Jesus says, 00:05:04.779 --> 00:05:11.060 I want you to be careful not to cause any of the other disciples here to stumble in their walk of faith. 00:05:12.180 --> 00:05:17.759 I want you to not cause anybody else to trip up as they're trying to live the Christian life. 00:05:17.819 --> 00:05:21.959 You used to think about what was good for you, but now that you're part of my family, 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:27.299 you don't just think about your own individual needs, you think about what's good for the whole group. 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:33.560 And so I want you to deal very seriously, Jesus says, with your sin, the sin that's causing you to stumble, 00:05:33.699 --> 00:05:36.860 and maybe the sin that's causing other people to stumble. 00:05:37.819 --> 00:05:46.620 And then in verses 12 to 14, Jesus reminds us that God is like a shepherd who cares for his one sheep that wanders away. 00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:53.600 And he so values that sheep that he reaches out to them in retrieving and reclaiming love to bring them back. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:57.139 And Jesus says, I want you to have the heart of your father. 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:06.920 That you would so value your brothers and sisters that if you see them drifting off and slipping away from their commitment to Jesus Christ, 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:14.120 that you would reach out to them and reclaim them to the fold of faith and bring them back to the sheep pen of the church. 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:17.620 And then Jesus says in verses 15 to 20, 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.040 what should you do when a brother or sister in the family of God has personally wronged you and wounded you? 00:06:25.100 --> 00:06:28.860 He says, you should seek their spiritual best interest. 00:06:29.840 --> 00:06:35.139 And you should do that by going to them and gently pointing out their fault, 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:39.959 pointing out their sin so that they can repent and receive the mercy of God, 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:41.620 and you can be reconciled. 00:06:41.659 --> 00:06:43.199 And Jesus says, that's my formula. 00:06:43.339 --> 00:06:49.039 That's my process for preserving the unity and purity and peace of the church. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:53.579 And Jesus gets to the end of this whole section and he says, 00:06:54.339 --> 00:06:59.899 now does that answer your question about who's the greatest in the kingdom of God? 00:06:59.979 --> 00:07:05.819 The person who's the greatest does all of these things in my disciple community. 00:07:05.819 --> 00:07:12.399 Now Peter has been listening very closely to Jesus and he says, 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:14.519 well, Lord, that's hard. 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:19.159 I mean, do you know this disciple community? 00:07:20.259 --> 00:07:21.759 I mean, have you met so-and-so? 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:23.319 They're hard to love. 00:07:24.339 --> 00:07:28.860 And so it provokes this question in verse 21 where Peter came to Jesus and he asked, 00:07:28.860 --> 00:07:34.259 Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or my sister who sins against me? 00:07:34.300 --> 00:07:35.939 Up to seven times. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:41.120 Now Peter's virtue is that he wants to frequently forgive his fellow disciples. 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:43.040 And that's a good thing. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:47.420 Sevenfold forgiveness is much better than zero forgiveness. 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:51.860 But the problem with Peter's formula is that it has limits. 00:07:52.600 --> 00:07:54.960 And that it only goes up to seven times. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:08:03.379 And so Jesus says to him in verse 22, he says, I tell you, Peter, not seven times, but 77 times. 00:08:03.979 --> 00:08:09.939 There may even be a note in your Bible that says, actually, 70 times seven times. 00:08:10.299 --> 00:08:11.139 490 times. 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:19.659 I want you to practice such unlimited, unceasing forgiveness that you never give up on your fellow disciples. 00:08:21.419 --> 00:08:23.099 And then Jesus tells a story. 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:38.019 And in this story, Jesus wants us to know that zillion-dollar forgiveness requires zillion-dollar mercy lest we presume upon God. 00:08:38.820 --> 00:08:49.600 That's the point of Jesus' story that he's going to unfold for us is that zillion-dollar forgiveness requires zillion-dollar mercy lest we presume upon God. 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:56.320 And he launches into this little story about the zillion-dollar forgiveness of this king. 00:08:56.540 --> 00:09:06.540 You know, Peter, I think, is in some ways trying to impress the Lord with his gracious generosity and says, Lord, how about sevenfold forgiveness? 00:09:06.659 --> 00:09:07.960 That's pretty amazing, isn't it? 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:10.780 And Jesus says, no, Peter, 70 times seven. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:20.500 If only you realized, Peter, how much God has forgiven you, you would actually stop counting how many times you have to forgive other people. 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:23.259 And so Jesus says in verse 23, 00:09:23.259 --> 00:09:37.639 Now, this is the king's administrator. 00:09:37.899 --> 00:09:41.580 He's got some responsibility, big-time responsibility in this kingdom. 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:55.420 And for whatever reason, we're not told he's massively mismanaged his life and mismanaged accounts so that he owes this king 10,000 talents or 6 million denarii, 00:09:55.420 --> 00:10:05.480 which in that economy in the ancient world were the wages of a day labor that amounted to 200,000 years worth of labor. 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:11.500 Not 200 years or 2,000 years, 200,000 years worth of labor. 00:10:12.520 --> 00:10:13.580 This guy's broke. 00:10:14.540 --> 00:10:15.480 He's insolvent. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:16.540 He's bankrupt. 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:18.020 Worse than that, he's in debt. 00:10:18.379 --> 00:10:21.139 Zillions of dollars beyond calculation. 00:10:21.560 --> 00:10:24.420 He could never have enough to repay the king. 00:10:25.480 --> 00:10:26.160 Verse 25, 00:10:27.240 --> 00:10:34.300 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. 00:10:34.300 --> 00:10:38.660 This is the just consequence for the injustice of defrauding the king. 00:10:39.660 --> 00:10:39.800 Right? 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:44.399 He's condemned to servitude and to the loss of all of his freedoms. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:46.779 And then in verse 26, 00:10:46.859 --> 00:10:50.199 The servant, realizing this, fell on his knees before him. 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:51.779 Be patient with me, he begged. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:55.039 And I will pay back everything. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:11:01.579 Now this poor guy doesn't understand his true condition before the king. 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:04.279 He doesn't understand his total inability. 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:09.480 He would need at least 200,000 years to pay off this debt. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:11.860 And he says to himself and to the king, 00:11:12.099 --> 00:11:12.959 I can do that. 00:11:13.779 --> 00:11:14.579 I can do that. 00:11:14.580 --> 00:11:21.940 Now I wonder how you think about your spiritual and moral condition before God today. 00:11:21.940 --> 00:11:27.180 I wonder if you realize how desperate things actually are. 00:11:27.179 --> 00:11:31.839 Or if you think to yourself like this guy, I can pay back everything. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:38.620 If I just have enough time and enough creativity, I can repay the debts that I owe to God. 00:11:39.379 --> 00:11:43.000 And I can work my way back into a right relationship with this king. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:49.780 And I can build up enough spiritual credits by coming to church on daylight savings time. 00:11:49.779 --> 00:11:56.559 And I can build up enough moral merits by loving this annoying person that I'm with today. 00:11:56.939 --> 00:12:01.519 And, you know, I can balance out the ledger of this king. 00:12:02.419 --> 00:12:04.659 And Jesus in the story is telling us that no, 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:08.459 your only hope is not in yourself and what you can do. 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:13.039 Your only hope is in this king and the grace that he gives. 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:15.620 And so he says in verse 27, 00:12:15.620 --> 00:12:26.580 Now that's a really bad translation of a wonderful Greek word. 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:28.700 We've talked about splanchnizomai. 00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:34.899 And splanchnizomai is what the good Samaritan feels for the man who's lying in the ditch. 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:40.879 Splanchnizomai is what the father feels for his prodigal son who's covered in filth. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:48.600 Splanchnizomai is what Jesus is feeling for the crowds who are harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 00:12:48.700 --> 00:12:53.879 It says that this king, he's struck in his heart with compassion. 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:58.679 With a visceral love in the depth of his being. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:04.679 And that is what causes him to give immeasurably beyond what this man asks. 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:06.080 Right? 00:13:06.120 --> 00:13:09.399 He doesn't extend the terms of his debt. 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:12.879 He doesn't reduce the cost of his debt. 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:16.799 It says that he just cancels his debt entirely. 00:13:18.059 --> 00:13:22.579 The total remission of a crushing burden. 00:13:23.699 --> 00:13:27.340 A gracious zillion dollar forgiveness. 00:13:28.620 --> 00:13:32.100 And he says to the man, he says of the man, he says, let him go. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:37.019 And he just sends him back as a free man to his family and to his home. 00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:38.199 And this guy was dead. 00:13:39.199 --> 00:13:40.480 And now he's alive again. 00:13:40.579 --> 00:13:46.720 He's back in his new life and new relationships and a new future and a new outlook. 00:13:47.579 --> 00:13:50.079 And you'd think he'd be extremely happy. 00:13:50.199 --> 00:13:50.379 Right? 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:53.879 You'd think he'd go home and throw a party with his friends. 00:13:53.939 --> 00:13:55.500 And we'll come back to that in a minute. 00:13:55.500 --> 00:13:59.679 But Jesus is teaching us something extremely important here. 00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:03.240 And that is exactly where he begins the Sermon on the Mount. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:09.080 Where he opens with those words, blessed are the poor in spirit. 00:14:09.940 --> 00:14:11.519 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:17.179 Jesus is saying that the kingdom of God is full of people who are spiritually poor. 00:14:17.779 --> 00:14:20.100 People who have mismanaged their lives. 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:21.600 They've squandered their gifts. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:23.399 They've ruined their potential. 00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:28.559 And they've mounted up all around them a massive pile of debt. 00:14:30.340 --> 00:14:33.799 Maybe they've loved themselves more than they love this king. 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:40.620 Maybe they've impoverished themselves spiritually and bankrupted themselves morally. 00:14:40.779 --> 00:14:45.879 And they've just racked up this crushing zillion dollar debt that they're totally unable to pay. 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:49.000 But Jesus says, if that's you, take heart. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:54.199 Because this king's heart burns with compassion for you. 00:14:55.079 --> 00:15:00.639 And he leverages his authority to release you from that debt. 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:05.860 And he exercises his power to free you from your bondage. 00:15:05.980 --> 00:15:11.740 And takes that burden of your debt off of you and onto himself. 00:15:12.580 --> 00:15:16.340 And he forgives that debt at a staggering cost to himself. 00:15:17.179 --> 00:15:20.379 Now, Jesus doesn't tell us in this story how he does that. 00:15:20.939 --> 00:15:23.819 But this points us to the climax of the gospel. 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:29.240 All four gospels where the son of this king is hanging on a cross. 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:38.600 And there he's absorbing your zillion dollar, 200,000 year debt into his body and into his soul. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:41.159 And he's doing that not just for one person. 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:46.659 But for every person who would bring their debt to him and trust in him. 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:52.340 That's an enormous load that Jesus has on his shoulders on the cross. 00:15:52.759 --> 00:15:53.960 And do you know what he says there? 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.379 Do you know what he says on his cross? 00:15:56.379 --> 00:16:00.439 His final words are to tell us die. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:02.559 To tell us die. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:05.539 And that means it is finished or it is accomplished. 00:16:05.879 --> 00:16:11.480 But that's the word that you would write on a bill in the ancient world to say paid in full. 00:16:13.059 --> 00:16:16.860 See, on Good Friday, Jesus is not just raising our debt ceiling. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.080 He's obliterating it entirely. 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:22.440 Jesus isn't just canceling our debt. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:24.120 He's paying it himself. 00:16:25.379 --> 00:16:32.360 And Jesus is causing your account, your ledger before the king to read paid in full. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:38.400 And some of you kids have recently learned from Pastor Andrew that grace, G-R-A-C-E, 00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:42.259 stands for God's riches at Christ's expense. 00:16:42.259 --> 00:16:56.759 And what this king does for this man, Jesus does for us, he says, let him go. 00:16:57.319 --> 00:16:58.240 Let them go. 00:16:59.259 --> 00:16:59.779 Forgiven. 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:01.399 Set free. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:03.659 Raised up to new life. 00:17:03.659 --> 00:17:07.159 Now, if that's true, shouldn't we be dancing this morning? 00:17:08.299 --> 00:17:11.599 I mean, I know some of you are Presbyterians, but we, shouldn't we be, 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:13.980 shouldn't we be hugging each other this morning? 00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:18.759 Should not we be weeping with joy if this is true? 00:17:19.659 --> 00:17:25.079 If you're exploring Christianity today, I want to encourage you, if you've been here for a while, 00:17:25.079 --> 00:17:34.319 to take a little step of faith today and to believe that Jesus lived the life that you should have lived 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:36.720 and that he died the death you deserve to die. 00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:43.099 And he did all that so he could write in the king's ledger next to your name, paid in full. 00:17:43.939 --> 00:17:50.480 And if you even want to believe that, I just want to invite you to silently pray even now, 00:17:50.879 --> 00:17:52.480 God, I want to believe it. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:59.460 God, give me the ability to trust in the finished work of Christ on my behalf. 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:04.660 And if you're a Christian here today who's allowed this truth just to live in your head, 00:18:04.819 --> 00:18:09.819 but not in your heart, maybe you've been ignoring it and neglecting it, 00:18:09.860 --> 00:18:15.360 and you've let it become this cold, dim, barely flickering ember in your heart, 00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:19.599 I want to invite you to simply pray right now, Lord, revive me. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:27.859 Lord, let your compassion and your infinite mercy and your immeasurable grace and your astonishing 00:18:27.859 --> 00:18:34.759 zillion-dollar forgiveness burn white hot in my heart again. 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:42.400 Jesus wants us to get really clear about what this zillion-dollar forgiveness of the king is all about. 00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:50.420 But he says this zillion-dollar forgiveness requires zillion-dollar mercy. 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:55.099 Zillion-dollar forgiveness requires zillion-dollar mercy. 00:18:55.099 --> 00:19:00.379 Now, how do I know God's love is operative in my life? 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:07.919 How is the forgiveness of God somehow bearing fruit in my relationships? 00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:09.740 And remember, Peter's question is, 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:16.619 Lord, how many times do I need to forgive my brothers and my sisters here in this disciple community? 00:19:16.619 --> 00:19:21.879 And remember, this is Jesus' sermon on church relationships. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:24.579 This is a sermon on congregational ethics. 00:19:25.619 --> 00:19:30.059 And what he's telling us in this story is that we know God's love is operative 00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:37.899 and that his forgiveness is bearing fruit in us when we forgive our fellow servants of the king. 00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:45.019 That this zillion-dollar forgiveness from the king is producing in us a zillion-dollar transformation of heart 00:19:45.019 --> 00:19:51.640 that's growing in us humility and patience and graciousness and charity and liberality 00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:58.780 so that the king's compassion is what you and I are exercising toward our brothers and sisters 00:19:58.780 --> 00:20:01.460 in the community of disciples. 00:20:02.100 --> 00:20:04.080 Now, I want you to just look around you this morning. 00:20:05.180 --> 00:20:06.840 And I want you to, you can look left and right. 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:07.419 I give you permission. 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:09.099 You can look behind you, in front of you. 00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:13.399 I want you to just find two or three people who are difficult to love. 00:20:14.879 --> 00:20:16.319 Okay, don't look too long. 00:20:16.619 --> 00:20:17.339 Don't look too long. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:22.659 And I noticed a lot of you are looking at me, which I totally get it. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:27.579 But I want you to see how this man who's just been forgiven 00:20:27.579 --> 00:20:30.639 acts toward his fellow servant of the king. 00:20:31.539 --> 00:20:34.419 Because you would expect him to be jubilant, right? 00:20:34.419 --> 00:20:36.799 You'd expect him to have this incredible change of heart. 00:20:37.199 --> 00:20:38.059 But what does he do? 00:20:38.139 --> 00:20:42.439 It says in verse 28, when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants 00:20:42.439 --> 00:20:45.500 who owed him 100 silver coins. 00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:48.959 Now, he's no longer in debt, but he's still broke. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:51.480 And he's still got to keep his family afloat. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:54.220 And so he's looking for some quick cash. 00:20:54.299 --> 00:21:00.319 So he remembers this guy who owes him 100 denarii, which is basically four months' worth of wages. 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:01.980 That's not an insignificant sum. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:05.220 I mean, take your monthly salary, multiply it times four. 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:06.860 Wouldn't you want that back? 00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:08.759 Four months' salary. 00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:15.740 But compare four months of wages with 200,000 years' worth of wages. 00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:18.640 And what does he do with this man? 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:22.480 It says he grabbed him and began to choke him. 00:21:23.099 --> 00:21:26.779 And he demanded, pay back what you owe me. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:30.059 Any of you ever want to do that? 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:33.759 I mean, doesn't it just feel so good to even think about it? 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:38.319 Just to reach out your hand and to grab that person's throat? 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:44.119 Some of you haven't actually lived in Christian community. 00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:49.639 If you don't want to do this, to grab that person's throat and to begin to choke them and to say, 00:21:50.119 --> 00:21:50.919 you owe me. 00:21:52.419 --> 00:21:54.399 You did me wrong and you owe me. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:58.740 Doesn't that make you feel so powerful? 00:21:59.379 --> 00:22:00.659 So in control? 00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:10.540 The problem is, how can this forgiven debtor, who's experienced the king's mercy, be so impatient, 00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:18.540 so aggressive, so harsh, so critical, so contemptuous, so vicious toward his brother? 00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:20.759 I mean, where is this spirit? 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:26.400 Where is this unmerciful attitude of, you owe me, even coming from? 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:28.980 Verse 29, it says, 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:31.700 His fellow servant fell on his knees and begged him, 00:22:31.780 --> 00:22:34.360 Be patient with me and I will pay you back. 00:22:35.380 --> 00:22:38.980 Shouldn't this man hear and see himself in his debtor? 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:43.680 Because these are the exact words of his recent plea to the king. 00:22:44.220 --> 00:22:48.660 His debt to the king was incomparably, immeasurably greater 00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:53.519 than anyone's debt could ever come close to being for him. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:59.200 And yet he's disregarding that experience and that relationship with his gracious king 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:03.759 and he's acting as if he'd never been forgiven and never been set free. 00:23:04.920 --> 00:23:05.920 Verse 30, it says, 00:23:06.059 --> 00:23:12.660 He refused and instead he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:21.759 How could this guy be so indifferent, so cold, so callous, so hard-hearted, so mean-spirited? 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:25.039 Now this is where I pause and I just say, 00:23:25.140 --> 00:23:28.400 Man, Jesus is a brilliant storyteller, isn't he? 00:23:29.779 --> 00:23:34.619 Because he pulls you in to feel disgust and hatred for this guy. 00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:39.799 And then when he gets you like in his trap and he gets you all the way close to himself, 00:23:39.879 --> 00:23:42.779 he kind of holds up the mirror and he says, 00:23:42.879 --> 00:23:43.259 It's you. 00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:46.799 And you realize he's been talking about you the whole time. 00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:51.799 Each of us here has somebody who owes us today. 00:23:53.059 --> 00:23:56.859 People who've come to your relational bank account, they've come to your ATM, 00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:00.420 and they've made withdrawal after withdrawal after withdrawal. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:01.980 They've created a deficit. 00:24:02.180 --> 00:24:06.960 Maybe you've got four months worth of debt that they need to pay you back. 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:12.480 Maybe it's a Christian brother or sister in the broader church. 00:24:12.539 --> 00:24:15.759 Or maybe it's even somebody here in this disciple community, a friend, 00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:20.860 a member of your community group, a parent-child relationship today, 00:24:20.940 --> 00:24:25.460 a husband-wife relationship today, a mentor or a leader, 00:24:25.840 --> 00:24:27.900 where you may be thinking today like, 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:33.759 Man, this person just hasn't invested in the relationship as much as I hoped that they would. 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:37.180 Or there's times when you felt, 00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:43.220 Man, I wish that they had welcomed me or seen me or heard me or honored me or thanked me in some particular way. 00:24:44.379 --> 00:24:47.279 Or maybe there's times when you needed your church family 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:51.160 and you needed people to pray for you and serve you and encourage you, 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:54.279 and they just failed to come through in your time of need. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:01.379 Maybe there were times where you needed somebody to call you or hug you or listen to you or help you or comfort you 00:25:01.380 --> 00:25:06.320 or bear your burdens, but none of those ever happened. 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:11.420 And maybe there were times where you needed somebody to give you some godly counsel 00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:17.380 or truthful accountability or some courageous challenge for you to deny yourself 00:25:17.380 --> 00:25:19.880 or to sacrifice yourself, 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:25.540 and that person just shortchanged you or neglected you or ignored you. 00:25:25.539 --> 00:25:31.259 And perhaps there's fellow servants of the king who just said things and done things 00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:34.980 that are just not in line with Jesus Christ and his gospel, 00:25:35.099 --> 00:25:37.399 and they've wounded you and they've hurt you. 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:41.039 If you've been around church for any amount of time, 00:25:41.899 --> 00:25:43.440 that's happened to you. 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:48.319 Your relational balance sheet is in the red. 00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:54.379 Your relational ledger is full of names of fellow servants who owe you. 00:25:55.439 --> 00:25:59.659 And isn't there just a part of you that wants to grab your fellow disciple, 00:25:59.919 --> 00:26:01.980 your brother and sister that you love in Christ, 00:26:02.099 --> 00:26:03.539 and say, give it back? 00:26:06.059 --> 00:26:07.659 That's called your sinful nature. 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:10.339 That's called your old self. 00:26:10.439 --> 00:26:11.599 That's called your passion. 00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:12.799 That's called your flesh. 00:26:12.919 --> 00:26:15.039 It's called all kind of things in the New Testament, 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:16.139 and it's there. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:20.359 And Jesus, what is he insisting that his disciples do instead? 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:24.000 He says, don't make them pay their debt. 00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:25.079 You pay their debt. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:30.960 You bear the cost, a great personal sacrifice to yourself, 00:26:31.059 --> 00:26:35.019 and put no limits on how much it's going to cost you 00:26:35.019 --> 00:26:40.139 or how willing you are to pay to absorb and forgive this debt. 00:26:40.940 --> 00:26:44.799 Because remember that the king had compassion on you, 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:47.099 and he canceled your debt, and he let you go. 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:51.339 And so now you are to do the same with the fellow servants of your king. 00:26:53.919 --> 00:26:55.960 Is there anybody you need to let go of today? 00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:00.359 Anybody you got a hold of that you just need to release? 00:27:02.700 --> 00:27:05.980 Remember the lavish cost that God paid to forgive you 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:13.460 compared to the relatively small cost that it takes to forgive one another. 00:27:15.019 --> 00:27:19.079 And think about what Jesus did when he was wronged 00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:21.839 and when he was wounded by his own people. 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:26.960 I mean, he had his closest disciples who betrayed him, 00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:28.420 denied him, and abandoned him. 00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:32.680 And Jesus' brothers and sisters all around him, they failed him. 00:27:32.740 --> 00:27:35.380 His disciple community, they completely disappointed him. 00:27:35.420 --> 00:27:38.380 The very people that should have loved him and worshipped him, 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:42.640 they rejected him and they crucified him. 00:27:42.980 --> 00:27:43.960 But what does he do? 00:27:45.560 --> 00:27:46.380 What did he do? 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:50.580 As the nails were driven into his hands and his feet, 00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:55.000 and as he was gasping for breath and slowly suffocating, 00:27:55.159 --> 00:28:00.259 he summoned up, by the power of the Holy Spirit, 00:28:00.379 --> 00:28:02.379 he summoned up the ability to pray, 00:28:02.859 --> 00:28:04.359 Father, forgive them. 00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:07.379 Father, forgive them. 00:28:07.439 --> 00:28:08.500 He didn't choke us. 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:11.000 He didn't demand us. 00:28:12.059 --> 00:28:14.779 No, he prayed for us, 00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:17.119 and he released us from our debts 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:21.959 and prompted by gratitude for this lavish, extravagant love. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:25.839 We who are forgiven sinners ought to commit ourselves 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:28.679 to costly, lavish, extravagant mercy 00:28:28.679 --> 00:28:30.639 toward those who sin against us 00:28:30.639 --> 00:28:31.399 and to pray for them, 00:28:31.559 --> 00:28:33.000 Father, forgive them. 00:28:33.439 --> 00:28:34.359 Father, forgive them. 00:28:35.399 --> 00:28:36.739 That's actually the mark. 00:28:37.639 --> 00:28:39.359 This merciful heart is the mark 00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:42.679 that you have genuinely received God's saving grace 00:28:42.679 --> 00:28:45.119 if you live this way and love this way 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:46.739 with your fellow brothers and sisters. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:48.919 In the disciple community. 00:28:50.339 --> 00:28:52.439 Jesus is saying zillion dollar forgiveness 00:28:52.439 --> 00:28:55.219 requires zillion dollar mercy. 00:28:55.479 --> 00:28:56.839 And one last thought, he says, 00:28:57.079 --> 00:28:58.759 lest we presume upon God. 00:28:59.919 --> 00:29:01.459 Lest we presume upon God. 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:03.439 And here's where the story gets super serious. 00:29:03.699 --> 00:29:04.819 It says in verse 32 00:29:04.819 --> 00:29:09.739 that these fellow servants held this guy accountable. 00:29:10.739 --> 00:29:11.639 And then in 32, 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:13.159 the master called the servant in, 00:29:13.219 --> 00:29:14.399 you wicked servant, he said, 00:29:14.399 --> 00:29:15.919 I canceled all that debt of yours 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:17.019 because you begged me to. 00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:19.279 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:21.340 just as I had on you? 00:29:21.420 --> 00:29:23.380 And in anger, his master handed him over 00:29:23.380 --> 00:29:24.740 to the jailers to be tortured 00:29:24.740 --> 00:29:27.279 until he should pay back all he owed. 00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:29.720 This is how my heavenly Father 00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:30.759 will treat each of you 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:33.039 unless you forgive a brother or sister 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:34.660 from your heart. 00:29:34.660 --> 00:29:38.000 See, this once forgiven servant 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:40.060 who refuses to forgive 00:29:40.060 --> 00:29:41.540 is finally unforgiven. 00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:44.580 And the freedom he goes out and abuses, 00:29:44.800 --> 00:29:46.980 he ultimately loses in the end. 00:29:48.220 --> 00:29:49.519 And Jesus is telling us 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.779 that a healthy appreciation 00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:52.160 for the king's mercy 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:54.540 leads to merciful treatment of others, 00:29:54.660 --> 00:29:56.800 but a cavalier disregard 00:29:56.800 --> 00:29:59.160 for the king's justice 00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:02.519 leads to the unjust treatment of others. 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:04.940 And Jesus' doctrine here 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:06.319 might surprise us, 00:30:06.379 --> 00:30:07.859 it might even embarrass us 00:30:07.859 --> 00:30:09.200 because he's saying 00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:10.480 what the whole Bible says. 00:30:10.539 --> 00:30:10.819 He says, 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:12.819 this king is both a merciful forgiver 00:30:12.819 --> 00:30:15.160 and a just judge. 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:17.619 And this guy gets thrown into prison, 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:18.660 he gets tortured, 00:30:18.759 --> 00:30:19.119 and we say, 00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:20.379 gosh, that seems harsh. 00:30:21.019 --> 00:30:22.079 That seems judgmental. 00:30:22.139 --> 00:30:23.460 That seems cruel. 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:26.779 And the secular doctrine of no judgment 00:30:26.779 --> 00:30:28.920 at first seems a lot better, 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:29.480 doesn't it? 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:32.259 Except when you realize 00:30:32.259 --> 00:30:34.000 that if there is no judge in heaven 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:36.220 and there is no judgment day to come, 00:30:36.339 --> 00:30:37.660 that means we're all the judges, 00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:39.799 and today is judgment day, 00:30:39.839 --> 00:30:41.460 and that is truly terrifying 00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:43.799 because we will never get justice 00:30:43.799 --> 00:30:45.319 and we will never get peace. 00:30:46.579 --> 00:30:50.259 And so Jesus preaches this doctrine of judgment 00:30:50.259 --> 00:30:54.019 to wake up his comfortable, 00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:55.140 complacent disciples. 00:30:55.140 --> 00:30:59.759 This one who teaches more about judgment 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:01.600 than the prophets and apostles combined 00:31:01.600 --> 00:31:04.600 is the same one who took our judgment 00:31:04.600 --> 00:31:06.780 upon himself on the cross to save us, 00:31:06.840 --> 00:31:08.660 is the same one who speaks judgment 00:31:08.660 --> 00:31:11.120 not to unbelieving pagans 00:31:11.120 --> 00:31:12.140 but to believing disciples 00:31:12.680 --> 00:31:15.540 who are way too sure of themselves 00:31:15.540 --> 00:31:19.460 and think that they can follow Jesus 00:31:19.460 --> 00:31:22.220 without forgiving like Jesus. 00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:24.079 And Jesus says, 00:31:24.539 --> 00:31:24.779 no. 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:30.339 It's like a surgeon who takes a knife 00:31:30.339 --> 00:31:31.600 and cuts on your body 00:31:31.600 --> 00:31:33.880 to remove the cancer. 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:35.000 Is that a cruel surgeon 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:37.500 or is that a very kind surgeon? 00:31:38.980 --> 00:31:39.660 And Jesus says, 00:31:39.720 --> 00:31:41.539 I'm here to do some preventative medicine 00:31:41.539 --> 00:31:45.079 and give you the spiritual tasks 00:31:45.079 --> 00:31:48.779 that will build up my church family, 00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:49.720 my church community. 00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:50.559 And he says, 00:31:50.660 --> 00:31:51.259 first of all, 00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:53.480 I want you to fix your eyes 00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:55.600 on the king's merciful forgiveness 00:31:55.600 --> 00:31:57.100 on his cross in the past. 00:31:58.220 --> 00:31:58.960 And secondly, 00:31:59.100 --> 00:32:00.440 I want you to fix your eyes 00:32:00.440 --> 00:32:01.779 on the king's just judgment 00:32:01.779 --> 00:32:03.039 on his throne in the future. 00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:05.100 And thirdly, 00:32:05.120 --> 00:32:06.279 I want you to fix your eyes 00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:07.420 on your brothers and sisters 00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:08.860 here in this disciple community 00:32:08.860 --> 00:32:09.500 in the present 00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:11.799 and with the compassion 00:32:11.799 --> 00:32:13.500 that comes from the heart of the king. 00:32:14.600 --> 00:32:15.900 I want you to forgive them 00:32:15.900 --> 00:32:18.259 and I want you to let them go. 00:32:18.259 --> 00:32:19.960 Now, I don't know 00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:21.480 if I'm just preaching to myself today 00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:23.619 or if I'm preaching to any of you, 00:32:24.900 --> 00:32:26.619 but God's calling us 00:32:26.619 --> 00:32:30.000 to live out this zillion dollar mercy 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:31.859 in our own congregation. 00:32:32.059 --> 00:32:32.640 He's calling us 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:34.099 to live out this zillion dollar mercy 00:32:34.099 --> 00:32:35.039 in our own families. 00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:36.059 He's calling us 00:32:36.059 --> 00:32:37.579 to live out this zillion dollar mercy 00:32:37.579 --> 00:32:39.839 with every person you see here today. 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:42.519 He says in his sermon on the mount, 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:43.619 blessed are the merciful 00:32:43.619 --> 00:32:46.319 because they will be shown mercy. 00:32:48.219 --> 00:32:49.639 And that's the new kind of family 00:32:49.639 --> 00:32:50.519 he wants to build. 00:32:51.500 --> 00:32:53.219 A family that forgives 00:32:53.219 --> 00:32:54.139 our brothers and sisters 00:32:54.139 --> 00:32:54.779 from the heart, 00:32:54.859 --> 00:32:56.559 not just seven times, 00:32:57.799 --> 00:32:58.959 but 77 times, 00:32:59.939 --> 00:33:01.179 even 70 times, 00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:02.699 seven times. 00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:05.779 May God enable us to do this 00:33:05.779 --> 00:33:07.119 in the name of the Father, 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:08.119 Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:33:08.819 --> 00:33:09.059 Amen. 00:33:09.059 --> 00:33:09.199 Amen.