the one that i loved, the city of hope

as everything else will disappoint you

A sermon on Jesus' ethic and & parable of forgiveness:

Isn’t it strange how what we need the MOST, is ALSO what hardest for us to give?

…I’m talking about forgiveness, of course.

…Let’s get at this by way of reflection; let’s take thirty seconds to remember a time we were forgiven. Not because we deserved it, but simply because we needed it. Okay?

Okay. Go!

…

*Wasn’t that nice to think about? 

Take a little extra time and just soak in how good it feels to remember that. To experience it all, all over again…

Okay. Now, think of something YOU need to be forgiven. 

It can be something recent or long ago. Whatever jumps to your mind.

Since we will all have plenty we need to be forgiven, and our sin is always accusing us; I’m only going to give us fifteen seconds this time. Okay?

Okay. Go…

…

Well, that’s a little less pleasant to remember, isn’t it?

But, I want you to hold unto whatever it is you thought of. Okay?

Got it in your mind?

Okay. Now, listen up; “As a called and ordained minister of the church of Jesus Christ, and by his authority, I declare unto YOU the entire forgiveness of all your sins!”

And there you have it!

That’s it! You’ve actually been forgiven! That sin has as much power over you, as corpse does over its body! Which is to say, none!

As today’s scripture promises, what was just declared to you here on earth, has been ratified up in heaven! That sin has actually been blotted out! It’s record against you has been loosed NOW and forever!

*If you want that loosing of any other sins, set up an appointment with me this week, and we can take care of that.

Okay, let’s put the rubber to the road: 

Let’s take twenty seconds to think of the person affected by the sin we were forgiven. And, think of how we can try and ask for their forgiveness. It can be a phone call, a letter, a text, a prayer, a chat. Whatever works for you. Okay? 

Go…

…

Now I know it’s not nice to give homework in a sermon, but you’ll never regret asking to be forgiven. Plus, that sin has already been forgiven, so you literally have nothing to lose in asking for forgiveness! Go ahead and actually try this week! I’ll try, too; and I’ll be praying for you all this week as you try…

…That’s been a lot, I know; but there’s one LAST reflection. 

AND, hard as those other ones have been, this one will be harder… 

Even though it sounds easier…

I want you to think of someone you need to forgive…

Let’s take thirty seconds. Okay? 

Go…

…Alright. Now, think of a way you can go and offer that person forgiveness. I’ll give you thirty more seconds.

Go…

Those last two were the most challenging. Weren’t they?

Sure, some people and ways came to your mind. But, and there’s always a ‘but.’ But, no sooner did you think of a way to offer forgiveness, then you started having second-thoughts, doubts and worries. Didn’t you?

I know you did; because I did too…

Easy as it sounds to go and forgive someone, actually doing it is hard. Isn’t it?

Why is it that what we need the MOST, is also what’s hardest for us to give?

After all, we all know we need to be forgiven. 

And, we all know how sweet it is to be forgiven. 

BUT, when it comes to offering the forgiveness we need so badly, we hold back.

…And it’s these vestiges of the old Adam and Eve that today’s scripture goes after!

It begins with Jesus offering the disciples practical tips for living out the forgiveness he has built his community upon. 

But Peter, sensing how difficult this will be, asks Jesus how many times we ought to forgive each other. Generously, in his mind, suggesting seven times. 

To which Jesus doubles-down. Well, actually, elevens-down on! 

Jesus takes Peter’s offer of seven, and multiplies it by eleven! Not seven times, but seventy-seven times!

Jesus does this, not to give Peter a limit on forgiveness. Sinners like us are always trying to find the limits of mercy. Rather, Jesus takes Peter’s anger to eleven to try and get Peter to out the bookkeeping business of counting debts altogether!

Which is exactly what the parable Jesus gives next is all about! Isn’t it?

It’s called the parable of the ‘unforgiving servant.’ But, like most parables it’s misnamed… 

Yes, the servant is unforgiving. But that’s NOT what the thrust of the parable is. That parable is about a King who relents, who quits counting debt. Dies to that way of dealing with subjects!

The parable begins with a king doing what kings do; settling accounts. 

And one of his servant owes him ten-thousand talents. 

*Which is an insane amount! Basically the guy owes the king millions. Plural, millions! He’s in way over his head. He owes an amount he’ll never be able pay back in single LIFEtime!

And everyone, from the king to the servant—to the fellow servants who show up later in the parable— know how serious this debt is… 

So when the king calls in the debt, the servant obviously can’t pay up. To settles the score; he, his family, and all his possessions are put up on the block for repo.

At this the servant, out of pure desperation, throws himself at the king’s feet, begs the king for patience, and promises to pay back the debt!

…At this point it’s easy to swing and miss the curveball Jesus just threw. So I want you to read why the king does what the king goes next…

*Go ahead and look. It’s in the passage…

What’d you find? Nothing?

…That’s because there is no reason! The king just has pity on the poor servant! The servant didn’t do a rotten thing to merit the king’s pity! 

In fact, the king seems to see the servant’s situation better than the servant does! The king knows the servant can never repay the debt. So instead of giving him more time, the king just cancels the debt altogether! Gratis!

Only, that’s not the end of the parable, because right after scoring the chance of a lifetime, the servant turns around and tries to shake down some low-level bookie under him! 

Having been forgiven something like ten million dollars, the servant turns around and goes after some guy who owed him a measly ten-grand!

It’s bonkers! 

…Except, the truth is, it’s how we act all the time. Isn’t it?

We all know we need to be forgiven. 

Further more, the amount we’re in dutch with Jesus, is an amount we could never repay! And yet!

And yet, go on holding unto the little grievances against us. Don’t we?

It’d be funny, if it weren’t so tragic. 

Which is really what’s the matter with the servant in Jesus’ parable! It’s not the servant is unforgiving, although he is. It’s that the servant’s fails to believe the king has actually cancelled his debt, quit the debt counting business!

The king called it quits, but the servant won’t quit!

No sooner does the king declare the debt, which the servant only ever manage to rack up, gone; then the servant goes right back to trying to pay it down!

He’s fooled himself into believe that if he can get one more go-round, this time he can save his own hide! Only, it’s a fool’s errand. And what’s more, it’s a fool’s errand the king will have nothing to do with!

The king isn’t about to let that old bookkeeping scheme go on in his kingdom anymore. He tells the servant if he’s so infatuated with it, he can have it lock, stock and barrel; and throws him in prison until the entire debt is paid back. 

Which, you may remember, has already been forgiven entirely!

The last twist of the parable is, the servant’s the only one keeping himself in prison! There’s no debt left to repay! The king already forgiven it all! 

But the servant won’t believe it, so instead of living in the kingdom scot free, he trudges off to prison in a pathetic attempt to repay an impossible debt himself. 

Heed Jesus’ parable, this servant is more like us than we care to admit. 

As Jesus ends his parable, the servant’s situation is our’s, lest we heed these words: 

As a called and ordained minister of the church of Jesus Christ, and by his authority, I declare unto you the ENTIRE forgiveness of ALL your sins!

The game of counting sins and the debt they bring is over. That cell has been broken open and your chains let loose. There’s nothing left for you to do but heed the king’s edict and leave the cell.

Come out. You’re free!