From Matthew 18-19
Jesus teaches about forgiveness. His commands are demanding. They require much maturity, patience and sensitivity. God has forgiven us with amazing mercy and grace. He expects us to respond similarly to those who sin against us.
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
Prior to our passage Jesus speaks about entering the kingdom of heaven as a humble child, the importance of removing sin and bringing back the wandering sinner from congregation of the righteous (Mt 15.1-14). Continuing on the theme of sin, Jesus now talks about forgiveness.
[15] “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
[16] But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
[17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
[18] Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Mt18:15-18)
Jesus steps through a conflict resolution process.
Confronting people with how they have sinned and hurt others is difficult. It requires the person to open themselves up to further hurt. The hard part is the person confronted with their sin may deny they have sinned. Without proof they might throw the accusation back in the persons face. They might lie. Leaving the whole attempt useless and cause further grief. Some grieve alone, continually trying to forgive, unable to summon the courage to try to bring about reconciliation.
Some people do not know they have sinned against others. They only way they can know is if they are told. Its unfair to hold grudges against someone who has no knowledge of what they have done or opportunity to make it right. It is easy to tear down a person behind their back through gossip and slander.
The process Jesus commands requires considerable maturity, patience and sensitivity of both sides.
The process Jesus requires advances in steps when the one who has sinned refuses to listen to the other. At first, privacy is needed to protect the reputation of the one who sinned. If they refuse to listen, more and more people are brought in to witness and bear judgment. At the end, if the person who continues to refuse to listen, they are to be treated like a ‘Gentile and a tax collector’. Like an outsider, caught in sin who needs to (hear the gospel again and) repent.
‘Whatever you bind’, ‘whatever you loose’. We are responsible for what we allow to continue in this world, because they will continue into the next. Sin should be bound. Reconciliation and peace should be loosed.
[19] Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Mt18:19-20)
‘Truly I say to you’ (Mt 18.18), ‘Again I say to you’. Jesus is repeating similar points from the same context. Jesus is talking about reconciliation. They come to an agreement. They decide what to bind and loose in earth and heaven.
‘Where two or three are gathered in my name’. You can see from the immediate context what Jesus is talking about. First and foremost Jesus is talking about forgiveness and reconciliation between God’s people.
When God’s people come together to work out their differences and pray the Lord is with them.
[21] Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” [22] Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Mt18:21-22)
The context seems to imply they sincerely repent, but are caught in habitual sin. Peter does not want to keep on forgiving people who keep on sinning against him. He asks if seven times is enough. Seven is a generous amount isn’t it?
Jesus says ‘seventy seven’ times. A massive number meant to communicate unending forgiveness for those who repent and ask for forgiveness.
[23] “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
[24] When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. [25] And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. [26] So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ [27] And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
[28] But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ [29] So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ [30] He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
[31] When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. [32] Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. [33] And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ [34] And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. (Mt18:23-34)
The underlying framework describing sin and forgiveness is monetary debt. This was a common way to understand sin and the way it could be dealt with.
The mid level servant, I’ll call him the manager from here on in, owes the master ten thousand talents. A talent of silver is equivalent to 6,000 denarii (days wages). A talent of gold is equivalent to 180,000 denarii. Multiply these figures by 10,000 and you can see this is a stupidly big amount.
The manager and his family would have been sold into slavery to pay the debt. Instead he begs for more time to pay it off. In an amazing display of mercy the master goes beyond this and publicly forgives all the managers debt.
Afterwards, a similar situation repeats itself. A servant of the (previously forgiven) manager owes him one hundred denarii. A much smaller amount than the manager owed the master. The manager refuses to forgive and throws him in prison to pay off the debt. The servants of the house see and are ‘greatly distressed’. They tell the master.
The master expected the manager to show the same forgiveness to others he gave to him. So he threw the manager into prison to pay off his original 10,000 talent debt.
[35] So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Mt18:35)
We are not required to do anything to receive God’s forgiveness. But once we have been forgiven we are obligated to respond in certain ways lest we loose what we have gained.
About Jesus
Forgiveness and reconciliation are core parts of Jesus’ teaching in the gospel. He is not giving us advice we can choose to ignore if we choose. They are commands we ought to obey and teach others to obey (Mt 28.20). Jesus is telling us how we are meant to live in his kingdom. They require considerable maturity, patience and sensitivity.
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2016. All Rights Reserved.
