Today’s parable is all about the importance of forgiveness.
We hear the story of one man who is owed a wee bit of money by another going to extreme lengths to punish that man when he can’t pay up. But what makes this action so obscene is that this first man has himself just been let off the hook – let off the most impossible debt by a king.
Given that this man had received such great mercy from the king, you would think he might have shown some mercy to his neighbour.
Through this story, Jesus is saying in effect: Forgiveness may be difficult for us, but when you consider how much we need forgiveness ourselves, and the way in which God offers to forgive us even though we hardly deserve it – then that should put things in a better perspective and make forgiving easier.
The more we know we are forgiven, the easier it is to forgive others.
How often should we forgive a person who wrongs us? That seems to have been the question that prompted this discussion between Jesus and his friends.
In our reading, Peter suggests an optimistic number. Seven times. Have you ever had to forgive someone seven times?
Seven times does seem like quite a lot – especially when forgiving at all is a hard thing to do. It’s hard to forgive someone once - never mind seven times! So what Peter is suggesting is fairly demanding, if we take it seriously.
But the trouble is, Jesus doesn’t take it seriously. This doesn’t go nearly far enough for him.
It’s typical of Jesus’ extravagant arithmetic. Never mind just 7 times. You should forgive 70 times 7 times!
Now, obviously, when Jesus says that he doesn’t literally mean 490 times.
He means that there should be no end to our willingness to forgive others. Our forgiveness should be without limits.
GOD’S FORGIVENESS OF US
Now, if our forgiveness should be without limits, let me pose a question.
Is it reasonable to think that God’s forgiveness is limited? Or put another way, is God less forgiving than God expects us to be? I would hope not!
If I were to say to you that God is always ready to forgive us, always loving us, always wanting the best for us – no matter how often we foul up, no matter how often we make mistakes, and no matter how serious those mistakes, I don’t think that would be seen as controversial. We Christians all believe this - don’t we?
Except,… except that there is a teaching that many in the church have proclaimed for centuries – the doctrine of eternal punishment in Hell. Everyone knows of this teaching. When we die we go to heaven or hell. One place (or state) is eternal happiness with God, the other is unending torment and punishment without God - with no hope of crossing the divide.
Now I’m not dead yet, and neither are you, and neither can I see into the future (and give you details on life after death), but I do not believe in the doctrine of eternal punishment.
The idea that our God is going to mete out torment to the people that God created and loves, and that this punishment is going to last forever is an obscenity that is not worthy of God.
How can God grant unending punishment to people that God claims to love? Apart from anything else, what about the punishment having to fit the crime ? However bad we may be – and I guess there are some really bad people out there, what could we (or anyone) do in this life that would seriously justify a punishment that lasted for all eternity?
How can unending punishment be justified for crimes committed during a few finite years on earth?
Some people seem to believe that God is loving and forgiving and willing to accept our responses right up till the moment of death.
God loves us all - till that moment – but then it is too late. Then you are God’s enemy and you are off “to the bad fire” so to speak!
According to this view, God loves us completely - as long as we breathe, but if we get hit by a car today and are killed then it’s too late for us, if we aren’t already card-carrying Christians.
This God is limited. You might argue, but what can be done once you are dead? It’s all over. No its not! It’s not all over! The real God is with us always – always - in life and in death – even when we die we are not out of the reach of God.
Now I believe that to be with God and experience God fully, we have to accept God. We have to choose God to be with us. We have to make a response.
I’m not saying that it doesn’t matter whether we trust in God or not – and that God just sticks everyone (good or bad) in heaven whether they like it or not.
What I do believe though, is that God wants to break through to every person and win them round, and I believe that God is so great this will be achieved. Maybe not in this life, but eventually and ultimately.
In Canada, that famous branch of police used to have as their motto – “A Mountie always gets his man!” If you committed a crime, the Mounted Police would keep going till you were caught. Wherever you travelled they would follow till eventually they found you.
I believe the saying is true of God. God will get God’s man, woman and child. God is after us to win us back, and will not stop till the job is done. Like the shepherd with 99 sheep out of a hundred, God will not rest till the last one is rescued.
Now you just might be thinking…what does all of this matter? This is speculation about something in the future for us all, and we will all find out in the end anyway.
It matters because if you believe in a God who will send people to unending torment you are not believing in a God of love. You are believing in a God with limited love, limited forgiveness, limited chances, and limited power. Despite the fact that Jesus said we should offer forgiveness without limits, you are believing in a God that is not willing to do that himself.
Think of it this way….
We who are parents love our children always – for all time – even if they drive us nuts at times – even if they break our hearts. Can you really believe that God is less loving than we humans are! I don’t think so!
Would you send your children to a punishment that lasted forever? Even if you think on someone somewhere who you feel really deserves great punishment – a “Hitler” for example - would you demand that their punishment lasted for all eternity? Let’s not project that horror onto God. It’s a nonsense.
The reality is that God’s love puts our love to shame. And that God always offers to us forgiveness if we turn to God. The love of God never stops. That includes not stopping at the cemetery gates.
You could say the whole message of the cross eventually boils down to forgiveness.
That famous Scottish Professor, Willie Barclay, once wrote this:
“If Jesus had refused or escaped the Cross, if he had not died, it would have meant that there was some point in suffering and sorrow at which the love of God stopped, that there was some point beyond which forgiveness was impossible. But the Cross is God saying in Jesus: ‘There is no limit to which my love will not go - and no sin which my love cannot forgive’.”
(William Barclay: The Mind of Jesus p280)
OUR FORGIVENESS OF OTHERS
There is a link between God’s forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others.
It comes out in today’s parable. It is also seen in the words of the Lord’s Prayer which we so often pray:
“Forgive our sins - as we forgive those who sin against us.”
So what is this link between God’s forgiveness and our forgiveness? Very often, forgiving others is extraordinarily hard for us. Someone once said you don’t need to teach someone to hold a grudge but you do need to teach them to let go and forgive.
But being able to forgive becomes easier (possible, even), when we are aware of our own forgiveness. When we realise how much we need forgiveness from God. When we realise how little we deserve forgiveness from God. And when we experience the blessing of being forgiven by God, it gives us a new perspective and the ability to forgive others.
That doesn’t mean its some kind of sentimental thing. You don’t say to the drunk driver who ran over and killed your son, “I forgive you. I’ll not think about it any more. Don’t worry about it. Maybe it wasn’t all your fault. No big deal…” Of course it’s a big deal! It probably was his fault.
The person we need to forgive may well not deserve to be forgiven. But then we often don’t deserve to be forgiven by God either.
Forgiveness is an act of will. It’s taking a decision to move on and behave in particular way - despite the pain. It’s a wee bit like Jesus asking us to show love to our enemies. That too is taking a decision – an act of will. Jesus doesn’t command us to “like” everybody. That’s impossible. There will always be some personalities that rub us the wrong way and we will rub other people the wrong way ourselves.
But it possible to show love to others even if we don’t find them to be our friends. It is possible to treat everyone with respect and to act towards everyone with respect.
In the same way, forgiveness can be extended to other people who have hurt us when we decide that we are not going to allow resentment and bitterness to continue in our hearts towards them.
And we do this not just because Jesus asks it of us. We do this for our own welfare. Because forgiving has an effect on us.
Sure, forgiving others sets them free. But it also is necessary (just as necessary) for ourselves. For we too need to be set free, from brooding and bitterness, from grudges and keeping scores, and obsession and darkness.
There is nothing more important (or healing) than the practice of forgiving those who annoy or hurt - or even seriously injure us. It may be hard to do, but it is possible, when we reflect on the reality of God.
The more we know we are forgiven, the easier it is to forgive others.
So lets give thanks today for God’s great and unlimited forgiveness offered to us. And lets show our gratitude by extending forgiveness to those around us, as we seek to live as followers of Jesus.