Forgiveness in the Kingdom

Savior and Teacher - A Study of Matthew PART 30
Rev Abraham Cho
2 September 2012

Matthew 18:23-35
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  25Since 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.  26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'  27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.  He grabbed him and began to choke him.  'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded, 29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30"But he refused.  Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32"Then the master called the servant in.  'You wicked servant,' he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'  34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

POWER OF FORGIVENESS
--It's always my responsibility to repair wrongs done to me or by me.
--How often do we forgive? ALWAYS
--If left unchecked, human sin multiplies to great violence as in Gen 4:24
--Forgiveness is a new positive force that can change the world!
--Forgiveness breaks the cycle of counter reprisals.

PRACTICE OF FORGIVENESS
--The King from the passage offers ultimate forgiveness because of great money owed.
--It should serve as an example to forgive people in our lives.
--Our ability to forgive stems from feeling the magnitude of Jesus's forgiveness of us.
--Tasting cosmic forgiveness gives us to power of infinite forgiveness.

PAIN OF FORGIVENESS
--Forgiveness demands a sacrifice from the wronged party.
--We have to learn to take it.