WEBVTT 00:00:01.529 --> 00:00:04.209 So here we are in May. Does anybody else feel 00:00:04.209 --> 00:00:07.089 like May just is chock full of a lot of things? 00:00:07.669 --> 00:00:14.650 Like it's a very... Right. It was loud. We heard 00:00:14.650 --> 00:00:17.609 it. We all heard it. Graduation's coming up. 00:00:17.829 --> 00:00:20.210 Who has them? Who's experiencing them? Who's 00:00:20.210 --> 00:00:24.769 going to the graduation parties? I didn't mean 00:00:24.769 --> 00:00:27.850 to call you out specifically, Liam. We also have 00:00:27.850 --> 00:00:30.500 Jada Britton. She had her last day of school, 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:36.079 right? You guys. We have Advancement Sunday coming 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:38.320 up for those that are getting ready to move from 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:40.920 SHED, or excuse me, from Treehouse into SHED. 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:43.079 We have graduations for those that are going 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:46.560 through high school to college. We have those 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.460 that have graduated college. Marisa's family 00:00:48.460 --> 00:00:50.799 has somebody who has graduated from college as 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:54.380 well, so that's exciting. So lots of things are 00:00:54.380 --> 00:00:57.140 happening. Teachers, who are the teachers in 00:00:57.140 --> 00:01:03.100 here? Right? You're so close. Y 'all are so close. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:07.099 You're nearly there. Along with your students. 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:11.260 Guys, you can make it. We believe it. Mother's 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:15.200 Day is here. We're thankful for that. We, as 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:17.599 a church, have a rest Sunday coming up on the 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:20.140 24th, so it's just like every week is like a 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:22.519 thing in today's baptism day. So lots and lots 00:01:22.519 --> 00:01:24.299 of things happening, but May is kind of that 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:27.180 month where we transition from something into 00:01:27.180 --> 00:01:29.640 something. It reminds us that there are new things 00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:32.120 ahead of us, which feels really, really good, 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:36.219 right? So I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful 00:01:36.219 --> 00:01:39.959 that May is a good reminder of new things ahead 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:44.439 of us, a freshness of things happening. We have 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:47.319 been in the book of Matthew for a number of weeks. 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:50.420 We will do this series through the summer. There's 00:01:50.420 --> 00:01:53.560 a lot of really good things to talk about. We 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:55.480 have already covered Jesus calling his first 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:58.260 disciples. We have heard him preach to the crowds. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:00.599 We have heard him bless those in society that 00:02:00.599 --> 00:02:03.620 were not used to receiving blessings. We have 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:05.599 heard him tell people about the kingdom of heaven 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:09.240 and how to live here on earth in that way, in 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:13.500 that model of the kingdom, which looks a lot, 00:02:14.060 --> 00:02:16.659 it looks nothing like what they are used to things, 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:19.340 what kingdoms look like here on earth. There 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:21.780 are so many scenes in the book of Matthew, so 00:02:21.780 --> 00:02:24.960 many moments that give us a broad view of Jesus, 00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:27.939 and we are grateful for the time the writer took 00:02:27.939 --> 00:02:31.300 to record these things. But among the things 00:02:31.300 --> 00:02:34.520 that Jesus was best known for, it was his stories. 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:39.939 The parables that he told, this tales with morals 00:02:39.939 --> 00:02:41.840 and meanings and insights and encouragement, 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:45.199 stories that would bring clarity about Jesus 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.780 and his message. Jesus could tell a good story. 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:52.199 Among the gospels, there are a number of these 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:54.139 parables that feature in some gospels, but not 00:02:54.139 --> 00:02:56.599 others. The parable of the sower, the mustard 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:59.330 seed, Those can all be found in Matthew, Mark, 00:02:59.370 --> 00:03:02.789 and Luke. The parable of the lost sheep and the 00:03:02.789 --> 00:03:04.810 talents can only be found in Matthew and Luke. 00:03:05.270 --> 00:03:08.210 Luke's gospel alone has the parables of the Good 00:03:08.210 --> 00:03:10.430 Samaritan, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, 00:03:10.490 --> 00:03:13.849 while Matthew's gospel alone has the parables 00:03:13.849 --> 00:03:15.930 of the hidden treasure, the two sons, and the 00:03:15.930 --> 00:03:18.789 unmerciful servant. There were a lot of stories. 00:03:18.990 --> 00:03:21.229 It's hard to make sure that everybody gets all 00:03:21.229 --> 00:03:24.819 of them. Much like Jesus wanted to tell stories 00:03:24.819 --> 00:03:27.599 that would direct us to truths about his father, 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:30.240 the gospel writers chose the stories that they 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:32.840 felt would best direct us to the truths about 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:36.979 Jesus that they wanted to share. As a reminder, 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:40.680 the author of Matthew was Jewish, writing to 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:44.500 a very specifically Jewish audience. This audience 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:46.780 would have been concerned with and knowledgeable 00:03:46.780 --> 00:03:51.389 of Jewish traditions and rabbinical law. And 00:03:51.389 --> 00:03:53.849 so when it comes to the parable of the unmerciful 00:03:53.849 --> 00:03:56.389 servant, which is where we're landing today, 00:03:57.370 --> 00:04:00.889 we and the listeners who had a distinct advantage 00:04:00.889 --> 00:04:03.930 over us come face to face with a story that addresses 00:04:03.930 --> 00:04:06.849 a key component to community life in the Jewish 00:04:06.849 --> 00:04:10.469 community. How to handle forgiveness and adjust 00:04:10.469 --> 00:04:15.000 their perspective on grace. So today we're gonna 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:18.420 be reading from Matthew 18, 21 through 35. Here 00:04:18.420 --> 00:04:20.779 at the house we have a tradition of taking some 00:04:20.779 --> 00:04:23.699 posture of attention. Often that takes the form 00:04:23.699 --> 00:04:26.000 of standing if you are able and you would like 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:29.300 to, but we ask that you pull your full attention 00:04:29.300 --> 00:04:31.259 to the listening and the hearing of the word. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:39.019 So Matthew 18, 21 through 25. And I'm reading 00:04:39.019 --> 00:04:42.420 out of the new revised standard version, updated 00:04:42.420 --> 00:04:51.199 edition. Hmm 18 yep 18 verses 21 through 35. 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:55.339 Thanks for asking clarifying questions Then Peter 00:04:55.339 --> 00:04:58.879 came and said to him Lord if my brothers or sisters 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:02.740 sins against me How often should I forgive as 00:05:02.740 --> 00:05:06.199 many as seven times? And Jesus said to him not 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:10.300 seven times, but I tell you 77 times some translations 00:05:10.300 --> 00:05:14.279 say seven times seven For this reason the kingdom 00:05:14.279 --> 00:05:17.120 of heaven may be compared to a king who wished 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:20.240 to settle accounts with his slaves When he began 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.699 the reckoning one who owed him 10 ,000 talents 00:05:23.699 --> 00:05:27.220 was brought to him and as he could not pay the 00:05:27.220 --> 00:05:30.480 Lord ordered him to be sold together with his 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:32.759 wife and children and all his possessions and 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:34.740 payments to be made. So the slave fell on his 00:05:34.740 --> 00:05:37.019 knees before him saying, have patience with me 00:05:37.019 --> 00:05:39.220 and I will pay you everything. And out of pity 00:05:39.220 --> 00:05:41.399 for him, the Lord of that slave released him 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:44.959 and forgave the debt. But that same slave as 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.480 he went out came upon one of his fellow slaves 00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:51.199 who owed him a hundred denarii. And seizing him 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:55.660 by the throat said, pay what you owe. Then his 00:05:55.660 --> 00:05:58.759 fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him. 00:05:59.019 --> 00:06:03.500 have patience with me and I will pay you." But 00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:08.079 he refused. And then he went and threw that man 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:11.740 into prison until he would pay the debt. When 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:13.879 his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:16.480 were greatly distressed and they went and reported 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:19.500 to their lord all that had taken place. Then 00:06:19.500 --> 00:06:21.720 the lord summoned him and said to him, you wicked 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:24.579 slave, I forgave you all that debt because you 00:06:24.579 --> 00:06:28.120 pleaded with me. Should you not have mercy on 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:31.420 your fellow slave as I had mercy on you? And 00:06:31.420 --> 00:06:34.139 in anger, his Lord handed him over to be tortured 00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:37.339 until he would pay his entire debt. So my Heavenly 00:06:37.339 --> 00:06:39.899 Father will also do to every one of you if you 00:06:39.899 --> 00:06:42.160 do not forgive your brother or sister from your 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:49.120 hearts. Let's pray. God, I would ask that you 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:53.759 would open our hearts and our minds to the message 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:57.769 that you have for us. This is a very strong story. 00:06:57.790 --> 00:07:00.550 You were not going, you're not somebody who minced 00:07:00.550 --> 00:07:04.029 words. And so I pray that we would hear it with 00:07:04.029 --> 00:07:07.610 our hearts and see with different eyes today 00:07:07.610 --> 00:07:11.490 as you would lead us. Help us hear from you. 00:07:11.990 --> 00:07:15.310 We ask all these things in your name. Amen. You 00:07:15.310 --> 00:07:19.449 may be seated. When I read Jesus's parables, 00:07:19.810 --> 00:07:22.290 there are times when they can be very clear cut 00:07:22.290 --> 00:07:25.740 and irrefutable and. And then you try to live 00:07:25.740 --> 00:07:31.480 them out, and they're really hard. The message 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:34.939 of this parable is not hard, as far as parables 00:07:34.939 --> 00:07:37.639 go. Some leave the disciples scratching their 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:39.199 heads and giving each other quizzical looks. 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:43.360 But this one is pretty straightforward. As we 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:45.399 said, the writer was writing to a Jewish audience 00:07:45.399 --> 00:07:48.560 who had become followers of Jesus and were learning 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:51.379 to adjust to new life in the kingdom of God. 00:07:51.769 --> 00:07:55.709 They were learning how to have a new life in 00:07:55.709 --> 00:07:59.689 Christ. And so there are some things that these 00:07:59.689 --> 00:08:01.970 readers would have understood that maybe aren't 00:08:01.970 --> 00:08:07.389 clear to us. Ancient Jewish law mandated that 00:08:07.389 --> 00:08:12.029 forgiveness is a required non -optional process 00:08:12.029 --> 00:08:16.709 initiated by the wrongdoer through sincere repentance. 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:21.519 It is the responsibility of the wrongdoer to 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:25.060 start the process. However, forgiveness is not 00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:30.100 automatic. So they can pursue forgiveness, cancellation 00:08:30.100 --> 00:08:33.700 of something owed, but it's not a given that 00:08:33.700 --> 00:08:36.840 they will receive it. The person who committed 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:39.899 the wrong must sincerely apologize and make amends, 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:42.960 often specified as up to three times, which reminds 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:46.039 me of... how, in various cultures, depending 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:48.460 on what it is, we do it in America, too, where 00:08:48.460 --> 00:08:52.059 there's the thing where if somebody offers you 00:08:52.059 --> 00:08:55.220 something, you refuse it first. Do you want this 00:08:55.220 --> 00:08:58.659 thing? No. No, that's okay. You sure? No, really, 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:03.539 I'm okay. No, really. Okay, yeah, okay. It takes 00:09:03.539 --> 00:09:05.700 multi, you know, that shows up in multiple forms 00:09:05.700 --> 00:09:07.740 all around the world, but like, it's reminding 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:11.960 me of that. But if a sincere apology is offered, 00:09:12.220 --> 00:09:14.620 Jewish tradition mandates that the aggrieved 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:18.820 should not be cruel and should accept it. However, 00:09:18.899 --> 00:09:21.539 they are not required to forgive those who do 00:09:21.539 --> 00:09:25.539 not show genuine remorse, though they are forbidden 00:09:25.539 --> 00:09:29.980 from holding grudges. So if an offender does 00:09:29.980 --> 00:09:34.559 not repent, one is not forced to offer forgiveness. 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:40.610 That is the structure. Everybody knows it. So 00:09:40.610 --> 00:09:42.929 just before the start of the passage we just 00:09:42.929 --> 00:09:46.909 read, Peter, the disciple Peter, is listening 00:09:46.909 --> 00:09:50.929 to Jesus tell other parables. And most notably, 00:09:51.250 --> 00:09:55.590 the one directly preceding this is about reproving 00:09:55.590 --> 00:10:00.370 another who sins and what to do. And so in Matthew 00:10:00.370 --> 00:10:06.870 18, 15 through 17, a few questions come up. If 00:10:06.870 --> 00:10:09.960 your brother or sister sins against you, Go and 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.419 point out the fault when the two of you are alone. 00:10:12.779 --> 00:10:16.039 If you are listened to, you have regained that 00:10:16.039 --> 00:10:20.419 one. But if you're not listened to, take one 00:10:20.419 --> 00:10:22.600 or two others along with you so that every word 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:24.639 may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.240 witnesses. And if that person refuses to listen 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.600 to them, tell it to the church and the community. 00:10:30.659 --> 00:10:32.740 And if the offender refuses to listen even to 00:10:32.740 --> 00:10:36.320 the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:40.440 or a tax collector. in society that was not a 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:43.840 desired position among the Jews. So harsh words. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:47.500 And they're listening to Jesus talk about basically 00:10:47.500 --> 00:10:51.059 someone who does not show remorse. So all the 00:10:51.059 --> 00:10:53.039 structure that I just talked about in the Jewish 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.399 community that was understood is based on somebody 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:59.960 who shows remorse. But this is somebody who doesn't. 00:11:00.340 --> 00:11:04.789 And so... That is the key piece to moving forward 00:11:04.789 --> 00:11:07.129 and forgiveness being offered and accepted at 00:11:07.129 --> 00:11:12.549 this time. So, Peter coming up to Jesus with 00:11:12.549 --> 00:11:15.210 the clarifying questions like, Lord, if my brother 00:11:15.210 --> 00:11:19.629 or sister sins against me, how often should I 00:11:19.629 --> 00:11:24.029 forgive? As many as seven times? And Peter thinks 00:11:24.029 --> 00:11:28.929 he's being pious and generous here. And Jesus 00:11:28.929 --> 00:11:34.679 returns with, Not even. Not seven times. I tell 00:11:34.679 --> 00:11:38.440 you, 77 times, or seven times seven, or like 00:11:38.440 --> 00:11:40.019 there's a few different versions of that number. 00:11:40.679 --> 00:11:46.600 But it's a lot. You're to keep forgiving. And 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:51.100 this, this wasn't the structure. This isn't how 00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:54.899 we do things. Jesus, you're a Jew. You know how 00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:58.019 we do things. And so this is why Jesus had to 00:11:58.019 --> 00:12:03.100 keep going. with the parable until just one more. 00:12:04.220 --> 00:12:07.299 Forgiveness is a key issue to the Jews. There 00:12:07.299 --> 00:12:10.600 are bunches of rabbinical code written around 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:13.600 how and when and why and what as it relates to 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:16.840 forgiveness. There are handfuls of words dedicated 00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:19.700 to the concepts of repentance and remorse and 00:12:19.700 --> 00:12:22.679 restitution and making things that were broken 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:27.169 whole again. There is forgiveness from God. And 00:12:27.169 --> 00:12:29.350 there's forgiveness between others. And there 00:12:29.350 --> 00:12:32.250 are different rules and understandings for those 00:12:32.250 --> 00:12:37.590 things. There are community and national holidays 00:12:37.590 --> 00:12:41.250 dedicated to atonement and repentance and forgiveness. 00:12:43.149 --> 00:12:45.490 And so here Peter's being cute, offering that 00:12:45.490 --> 00:12:49.070 he would go, he would go as big as seven times. 00:12:49.309 --> 00:12:53.409 Remember how I said up to three? Well, he's like, 00:12:53.730 --> 00:12:57.480 Jesus, should I? forgives seven times, and I 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:02.340 think he's like, look at how generous I am. The 00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:05.139 story Jesus tells, though, in response to this 00:13:05.139 --> 00:13:08.620 would have been a shock to the system that they 00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:12.039 knew, a scandalous story that directly challenged 00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:15.840 their social and even their economic and theological 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:20.379 understandings of honor, debt, and divine mercy. 00:13:21.980 --> 00:13:25.740 At verse 22. And we are reminded, it says, for 00:13:25.740 --> 00:13:29.039 this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:32.340 to a king who wished to settle accounts with 00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:35.679 his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:39.480 who owed him 10 ,000 talents was brought to him. 00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:43.460 And immediately, the listeners would have been 00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:47.379 leveled. It would have been a number that was 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:51.240 purposely incomprehensible. 10 ,000 talents. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:56.159 So perspective. One talent, a single talent, 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:00.039 was roughly 6 ,000 denarii, which is a day's 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:04.899 wage. And 10 ,000 was actually the highest Greek 00:14:04.899 --> 00:14:07.419 number. And you could build systems on that 10 00:14:07.419 --> 00:14:12.379 ,000, but they didn't go to 10 ,001. It wasn't 00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:15.539 a structure that they had. 10 ,000 was known 00:14:15.539 --> 00:14:18.940 as a myriad. That's where that word comes from. 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:22.779 Thank you. Thank you for that one. I love a good, 00:14:22.779 --> 00:14:27.460 I love a good fact. Good fact and a historical 00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:31.360 moment. So Amiri, Amiri had the largest basic 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:35.659 number with a single word in ancient Greek. So 00:14:35.659 --> 00:14:38.779 in common parlance, it often represented something 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:42.840 innumerable or something like a maximum quantity, 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:47.059 something giant. Certainly something out of our 00:14:47.059 --> 00:14:51.009 reach. So 10 ,000 talents. It was 10 ,000 days 00:14:51.009 --> 00:14:55.049 of wages. Immediately, the listening crowd, including 00:14:55.049 --> 00:14:58.389 the disciples, would know that this number was 00:14:58.389 --> 00:15:04.450 impossible for the slave to pay off. The king's 00:15:04.450 --> 00:15:06.470 initial reaction would have come as no surprise 00:15:06.470 --> 00:15:08.490 to the audience, and in fact, would have been 00:15:08.490 --> 00:15:13.169 expected. The king's initial reaction was, I'm 00:15:13.169 --> 00:15:16.220 going to get my dad. Debt slavery was a familiar 00:15:16.220 --> 00:15:19.279 idea. The king's initial command to sell the 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:23.580 family and possessions was a standard, harsh 00:15:23.580 --> 00:15:29.480 practice in society in order to regain his honor 00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:34.220 and his assets. They were his. Everybody understood, 00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:37.840 you're owed that. You have to do what you need 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:41.700 to do. Jesus is also using the idea of a king, 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:48.100 power, slave. no power in that society to emphasize 00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:53.200 everybody's understanding. In that society, the 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.899 slave was nothing, the king was everything. There 00:15:56.899 --> 00:16:01.240 is no other way here. So the king's unexpected 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:04.580 total forgiveness of the 10 ,000 talents was 00:16:04.580 --> 00:16:09.700 a dramatic act, releasing the servant from a 00:16:09.700 --> 00:16:14.600 burden that brought shame to his household. And 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:17.960 though the servant had indeed shown remorse at 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:21.039 not fulfilling the debt, the cost is too great. 00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:23.419 This is one of those situations where you may 00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:26.919 be sorry, but there is no other option. The debt 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:31.740 is the debt, and it is giant. There is no alternative. 00:16:32.340 --> 00:16:35.059 There is simply no way for the servant to remedy 00:16:35.059 --> 00:16:42.659 the issue. And so, the king does. The clear image 00:16:42.659 --> 00:16:47.059 of the King as God and the debtor as them and 00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:50.019 as us, the understanding would have been clear. 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:53.340 The debt we owe God is one that we can never 00:16:53.340 --> 00:16:58.580 pay. We can never fix it and our King knows that 00:16:58.580 --> 00:17:03.980 and so the King does. And that would be enough 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:07.119 for the story to land heavy and make its point. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:12.480 But Jesus is not finished. And so the story replays 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:16.420 itself on a micro level. The servant goes out 00:17:16.420 --> 00:17:21.420 and sees a guy that owes him 100 denarii, which 00:17:21.420 --> 00:17:26.000 is roughly one and a half percent of the 6 ,000 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:31.180 denarii, a day's wage. Friends, that is equivalent 00:17:31.180 --> 00:17:37.000 to about $1 .50 for us, if you base that on $100 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:41.630 a day. So y 'all, I mean, at one point or another, 00:17:41.769 --> 00:17:44.089 we have experienced what it means to be financially 00:17:44.089 --> 00:17:48.750 low, where that last dollar is committed to five 00:17:48.750 --> 00:17:53.089 different bills. Do you know that Johnny Taylor 00:17:53.089 --> 00:17:56.789 song, My Last Two Dollars? My last two dollars 00:17:56.789 --> 00:17:59.390 is going around for a while. Thank you. Who said 00:17:59.390 --> 00:18:01.630 that? There you go. It's such a catchy song. 00:18:01.829 --> 00:18:06.069 I love it. But that servant had missed something 00:18:06.069 --> 00:18:10.059 here. If you have a lifetime of debt canceled 00:18:10.059 --> 00:18:13.319 or covered for you, one might hope that would 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:18.539 go deep down in the debtor's bones, that their 00:18:18.539 --> 00:18:21.660 life might be altered at a cellular level, that 00:18:21.660 --> 00:18:25.180 they might understand what forgiveness actually 00:18:25.180 --> 00:18:30.519 feels like, what mercy feels like, what the lifting 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:34.519 of that anxiety can do to a person who now has 00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:39.660 a fully clean slate. But he didn't seem to be 00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:44.920 aware. Because shortly thereafter, we see him 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:49.019 choking his fellow servant, even while the peer 00:18:49.019 --> 00:18:53.900 uses the exact same language the servant previously 00:18:53.900 --> 00:19:00.519 used. This would have been viewed as a deeply 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:05.880 shameful... and wicked violation of honor. And 00:19:05.880 --> 00:19:08.200 a Jewish audience would likely have expressed 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:12.819 deep moral outrage at this. Perhaps even being 00:19:12.819 --> 00:19:16.539 embarrassed for that man, the man not having 00:19:16.539 --> 00:19:19.000 the wherewithal to understand the cultural impact 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:22.480 of his bad choice. And so the audience would 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:25.140 have likely easily identified with the fellow 00:19:25.140 --> 00:19:28.440 servants who were greatly distressed and brought 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:31.819 this matter back to the king. the unmerciful 00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:35.180 servant's actions are viewed as a mockery of 00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:39.500 the mercy he just received. And so the parable 00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:43.019 suggests that in the kingdom of God, the old 00:19:43.019 --> 00:19:46.900 ways of transactional debt collecting and honor 00:19:46.900 --> 00:19:52.640 seeking are abolished, replaced by a new radical 00:19:52.640 --> 00:20:00.259 ethic of unlimited, unsealing forgiveness. So 00:20:00.259 --> 00:20:06.019 know Peter, not just seven times. As God has 00:20:06.019 --> 00:20:09.559 forgiven your debt in its entirety, it is put 00:20:09.559 --> 00:20:14.559 to you to forgive others without a ceiling. And 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:17.400 Peter of course doesn't know it yet, but he will 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:21.819 very specifically be on the receiving end of 00:20:21.819 --> 00:20:26.140 Jesus' grace and forgiveness. after seeing exactly 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:29.720 how much it costs Jesus to provide it for him. 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:35.940 And I wonder if Peter standing on the beach with 00:20:35.940 --> 00:20:41.579 Jesus remembered this conversation and this parable 00:20:41.579 --> 00:20:45.539 here when they stood there looking at each other 00:20:45.539 --> 00:20:50.079 after he had denied Jesus three times and Jesus 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:57.009 had restored him. And Jesus offers us a new way, 00:20:58.569 --> 00:21:02.869 a new way of being free, untethered by the old 00:21:02.869 --> 00:21:07.930 understandings and the old rules. We don't live 00:21:07.930 --> 00:21:10.170 in a culture of forgiveness, but we do live in 00:21:10.170 --> 00:21:14.910 a culture that expects grace. A grace we have 00:21:14.910 --> 00:21:18.750 decided we deserve. And that is, of course, not 00:21:18.750 --> 00:21:23.859 how grace works. Grace is a gift given to us. 00:21:24.220 --> 00:21:27.059 Even in the case where in common behavior, we 00:21:27.059 --> 00:21:29.059 might beat ourselves up for our shortcomings 00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:31.559 and we are reminded to be gracious to ourselves. 00:21:32.740 --> 00:21:35.539 And even so, often what that actually really 00:21:35.539 --> 00:21:39.559 means is, you'll be reminded no one else is telling 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:42.119 you that you're terrible. Your condemnation is 00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:44.519 coming from within. Release it. There is grace 00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:49.319 that exists for you. That is really, I think, 00:21:49.460 --> 00:21:54.309 how that goes. But when we behave like the forgiveness 00:21:54.309 --> 00:21:57.529 and grace that was offered to you was an expected 00:21:57.529 --> 00:22:00.809 and foregone conclusion, because isn't that what 00:22:00.809 --> 00:22:02.329 Christianity is supposed to be? You're supposed 00:22:02.329 --> 00:22:07.390 to do that. Well then we've cheapened it. Dietrich 00:22:07.390 --> 00:22:10.609 Bonhoeffer's seminal work, The Cost of Discipleship, 00:22:11.809 --> 00:22:15.410 you know I love a book, has a powerful chapter 00:22:15.410 --> 00:22:19.589 and it's the first one called Costly Grace. And 00:22:19.589 --> 00:22:21.890 I encourage you to get your hands on this book, 00:22:21.930 --> 00:22:24.390 if not for anything else but the first chapter. 00:22:26.750 --> 00:22:28.930 So he says, when the Bible speaks of following 00:22:28.930 --> 00:22:32.990 Jesus, it's proclaiming a discipleship which 00:22:32.990 --> 00:22:37.069 will liberate mankind from all man -made dogmas, 00:22:37.710 --> 00:22:40.509 from every burden and oppression, from every 00:22:40.509 --> 00:22:42.829 anxiety and torture which affects the conscience. 00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:47.359 Well Peter was caught up in the precision of 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:52.839 how many times Jesus Because there's a limit 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:56.359 to his good graces Jesus simply lifted the roof 00:22:56.359 --> 00:23:00.059 off the question making it mood You know what 00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:03.180 Peter? Why don't we just say? Why don't we just 00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:05.660 say that forgiveness does not have a limit? That's 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:08.440 that's going to free you up from having to keep 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:11.319 track That's gonna free you up from having to 00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:14.970 count from having to keep adding or subtracting, 00:23:15.690 --> 00:23:18.250 I'm just going to free you up from that and let 00:23:18.250 --> 00:23:22.130 you know it's been covered. I ask that in return, 00:23:23.230 --> 00:23:26.490 please don't bind others up in the chains that 00:23:26.490 --> 00:23:30.910 I just took off of you. Let's just go ahead and 00:23:30.910 --> 00:23:34.829 agree that that's not yours to manage. In fact, 00:23:35.069 --> 00:23:38.450 why don't you just stick close to me, follow 00:23:38.450 --> 00:23:41.519 me, and I'll show you how it's done. We can do 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:46.500 that together. So Bonhoeffer by contrast also 00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:50.940 talks about cheap grace. A grace that has forgotten 00:23:50.940 --> 00:23:56.700 or overlooks what it took to be offered the cancellation 00:23:56.700 --> 00:24:01.579 of the dead. A grace that has been assumed and 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:04.000 doled out without the discipleship of Jesus. 00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:09.539 It's been removed from its source. So the king 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:13.359 in this parable bearing the burden of the servant's 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:16.799 shame. Because while the servant had the debt, 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:24.579 the king had the shame. And so he chose to cancel 00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:28.279 that and take the shame. And keep the shame there. 00:24:28.579 --> 00:24:31.079 And the servant shamelessly forgetting what was 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:34.269 taken off his back to carry. And the servant 00:24:34.269 --> 00:24:36.829 moved on from his encounter with the king, treating 00:24:36.829 --> 00:24:39.230 this grace like he deserved it, the condition 00:24:39.230 --> 00:24:43.309 of his heart being in bleak shape. We have been 00:24:43.309 --> 00:24:47.150 offered forgiveness, but it came at a cost for 00:24:47.150 --> 00:24:50.230 the one that offers it to us, a debt we could 00:24:50.230 --> 00:24:53.690 not conceive, a cost just as incomprehensible. 00:24:55.730 --> 00:24:59.690 We are not meant to live with the constant weight 00:24:59.690 --> 00:25:04.140 of the reminder of what God did for us. It's 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:07.019 not that God wants to lord that over us, in that 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:09.900 our God does not lord over and constantly remind 00:25:09.900 --> 00:25:12.299 me, oh, by the way, remember when I canceled 00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:16.339 that debt for you? I'm awesome. God doesn't have 00:25:16.339 --> 00:25:22.160 to. God does not desire us to take back the shame. 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:25.940 God does not wish for us to be newly burdened 00:25:25.940 --> 00:25:29.000 now with the weight of the knowledge of our new 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:31.940 circumstances. In fact, Jesus is quite clear 00:25:31.940 --> 00:25:34.720 when he says, come to me all you who are weary 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:37.160 and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:40.559 rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:43.920 for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:47.839 find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:54.259 and my burden is light. But is not to be forgotten 00:25:54.259 --> 00:25:58.599 or taken for granted. What the servant lacked, 00:25:59.049 --> 00:26:03.869 was sincere repentance. He experienced the full 00:26:03.869 --> 00:26:06.710 value of grace, but did not let it change him. 00:26:07.250 --> 00:26:11.789 He did not then go and do likewise. He acted 00:26:11.789 --> 00:26:18.589 as though the king was expected to cancel the 00:26:18.589 --> 00:26:24.140 debt. That's how his response acted. He acted 00:26:24.140 --> 00:26:26.279 as the king was expected to and didn't, and the 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:28.440 servant acted in the way that the old letter 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:31.519 would have prescribed. However, the servant should 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:34.500 have followed in the way of the king, multiplying 00:26:34.500 --> 00:26:39.039 the king's way. And he did not. And in the end, 00:26:39.180 --> 00:26:42.859 the servant was bound up by the chains of the 00:26:42.859 --> 00:26:46.160 initial debt. He never received the full benefit 00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:48.880 of grace because he himself didn't fully receive 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:52.950 it and then extend it. And so we're offered the 00:26:52.950 --> 00:26:57.049 same. Grace has been offered. Your debt has been 00:26:57.049 --> 00:27:01.369 paid. Christ offers us a place as a disciple, 00:27:02.049 --> 00:27:05.869 an invitation to follow him. And what a gift 00:27:05.869 --> 00:27:09.809 we've been given in the freedom of Christ, in 00:27:09.809 --> 00:27:12.490 the love of God, in the power of forgiveness. 00:27:13.630 --> 00:27:17.250 And we should go and do likewise. Let's pray. 00:27:26.089 --> 00:27:31.529 God it is incomprehensible It is incomprehensible 00:27:31.529 --> 00:27:41.529 to understand This debt We carry things around 00:27:41.529 --> 00:27:45.490 us with us as humans that we don't we don't realize 00:27:45.490 --> 00:27:54.549 we don't realize how much We've we've we've gained 00:27:54.549 --> 00:28:03.920 in in what we owe, how we've hurt others, how 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:05.720 we've made decisions that have affected people 00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:13.940 badly. It is just the way of humanity. And I 00:28:13.940 --> 00:28:22.000 am grateful that you see us and you offer us 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:26.059 forgiveness. and the clearing of those things. 00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:31.140 But you do invite us to follow you so that it's 00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:33.619 not just simply that we receive your forgiveness 00:28:33.619 --> 00:28:39.640 and we're on our way. That you offer us forgiveness, 00:28:40.019 --> 00:28:43.099 but then the opportunity to follow you so that 00:28:43.099 --> 00:28:47.119 we may continue to understand what it means to 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:52.380 live in a new way. So we need your help with 00:28:52.380 --> 00:28:56.599 that. We need your help with that. So we ask 00:28:56.599 --> 00:28:58.680 for your leading, we ask for your guiding, we 00:28:58.680 --> 00:29:10.779 ask for your care. As we head into communion 00:29:10.779 --> 00:29:15.779 today, Lord, I pray that you would help us think 00:29:15.779 --> 00:29:18.759 through these things and if there's anything 00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:20.960 that you need us to think on specifically, I 00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:24.539 ask that you would bring it to the surface. put 00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:29.099 it on our hearts that we may reflect on it. I 00:29:29.099 --> 00:29:31.200 pray this in your name. Amen.