RECOGNISING THE SETTING
- Gentle Jesus sometimes says things that unsettle us — see Matthew 6:14-15,18:35.
- Forgiveness touches a raw nerve in everyone — including me. “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.” (C. S. Lewis)
- Context: The parable of the unforgiving servant comes at the end of the community discourse in Matthew 18.
READING THE STORY
- Matthew 18:21-22 Perfectly limitless forgiveness?
- Matthew 18:23-27 An unpayable debt is unexpectedly forgiven (cancelled)!
- Matthew 18:28-35 The forgiven servant refuses to forgive. We condemn him until we realise …
- The conclusion (Matt 18:34): When we receive God’s forgiveness we can release it to others.
REFLECTING ON THE SIGNIFICANCE
- Are we truly receiving forgiveness from God?
a. Do we know and feel the weight of our unpayable debt and the wonder of God’s forgiveness?
b. Two contrasting inner scripts that make us reject God’s forgiveness:
i. I’m pretty good; there’s nothing much for God to forgive.
ii. I’m pretty rotten; God couldn’t possibly forgive me.
c. Come back to the Cross and look through the eyes of Christ!
- Have we tasted the blessing of releasing forgiveness to others?
a. Forgiveness includes two steps: inwardly paying the debt and intending good for the wrongdoer. These are costly!
b. The blessing of forgiveness outweighs the cost! Harbouring bitterness and wrath can turn you into a wraith.
- What enables us to repeatedly forgive, when it’s just so hard to do?
a. Why forgiveness needs to be so repetitive: old and new wounds!
b. For repeated forgiveness to happen, we must tend the garden of our souls. (That includes guarding our boundaries.)
IN SUMMARY
Will we receive God’s forgiveness, and release it in a broken world?
Sunday Worship Songs at cefc.ch/sws
Next Sunday’s Topic: Matthew 19:1-12
Next Sunday’s Speaker(s): Rev Kirk Tan (BPJ), Rev Dr Sharon Fong (WDL) & Hor Guo Yi (East)
