"Yes Grace is Free, But It’s Not Easy"            2014

Matthew 18:21-33            Romans 14:1-10

 

Matthew 18:21-33

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’

 

Romans 14:1-10

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

 

We were gathered for a men’s breakfast at the church one Saturday,

            and when the food was ready,

                        our host and chef asked us to stand in a circle for prayer.

  So we closed our eyes, we bowed our heads and waited, and we waited.

            Finally, after more silence and waiting, I looked up and asked,

*                       "Bob, are we waiting for me to say grace?"

 

Waiting for someone to say grace.

            I think that describes one of the greatest needs of our world …          

   … waiting and hoping that someone will reflect God’s grace,

               that someone will show mercy, forbearance and compassion;

and rather than seeking revenge or demanding their own way,

            choose to make room for God’s gracious purpose

                        by offering understanding, forgiveness & reconciliation.

* To receive grace --- it’s a longing that all humanity shares.

 

This world has become a very cruel, harsh and demandingly place,

            very quick to judge and condemn, to exclude and reject,

                 to accuse and assign motives,   and very hesitant to forgive…

… and surely the task of the church of Jesus Christ is to be,  and à

            to live out an alternative view,  as a place of healing & grace.

 

That is the chief business and purpose of the Church ----

            to reflect and share with others

                                         the same love and grace of our Lord God

                                                that we ourselves have so freely received.

 

But it is not always easy to live up to that Christian ideal,

            for even the New Testament churches struggled

                        with conflicts, misunderstandings and resentments.

            That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans

                to clarify the gospel message he taught and believed.

 

Part of the church conflict was because Christianity was shifting

     from mostly Jewish believers  to more and more gentiles,

                             which was creating some tension and disagreement

                                    over Jewish traditions and religious rituals…

   … such as what was proper to eat,

            and should Jewish holy days still be observed by Christians?

 

These don’t seem like huge issues or worth the fight  to us today,

        but at the time they represented:   the authority of Scripture,

                 the meaning of God’s grace, discipleship & obedience to God.

 

These were difficult issues to those early Christians,

      and Paul’s solution was less emphasis on the issues themselves,

             and more focus on our unity as Christians through Christ.

 

**             Paul’s perspective was that the issues dividing them

                            were far less important

                                    than the greater sin   of damaging the body of Christ.

 

Paul points out that on each side of both issues,

                            they were believing and behaving as they did

                               fully intending to please, honor and glorify God vs. 6,4

            Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall.

 

Paul raises some important questions:

            do I trust God’s power, sovereignty, wisdom and judgment

                enough to wait and be patient and let God work it out?,

     or do I insist that I must defend, and that I must attack,

            as if the Lord isn’t able to fulfill the divine will?

 

Related to that, and the issue of church conflict,

            in the Matthew passage, Peter had some questions about

                        forgiveness among Christians who offend one another. vs. 21

                                    "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive?  As many as seven times?"

 

Peter’s suggestion of forgiving 7 times was actually magnanimous,

            far more than the rabbinic rule of three times …

                        … showing that Peter

                               was starting to get the 'grace and forgiveness thing'…

 

… for if someone has done something offensive to you seven times,

            or done something evil and depraved to a loved one seven times,

                        then seven certainly sounds like a very generous number.

 

But then Jesus says,

            'no, that's still not good enough' ---     more like 70 times 7'.

 

The difference between Peter and Jesus was not a matter of numbers,

      but the very nature of Christian community & forgiveness itself.

   It’s not about keeping track of a number,

            but that forgiveness among Christians  is to have no limit.

 

Just as there is no limit to the grace of God toward us,

    and since God's love overcomes even the worst of our sin,

                        so too God's loving forgiveness through us is also to be

                            grace sufficient to overcome any sin  done against us.

 

And then Jesus tells this parable to illustrate his point,

   so that it’s abundantly clear & disturbingly easy to understand.

 

The king forgives an astronomical amount, 10k, an impossible debt.

                        Each year the whole region under King Herod’s rule

                                    had to collect and give Rome 900 talents in tribute,

                                        and this figure   is more than 10 times that amount.

Jesus was making his point by telling an exaggerated story.

           

When the man says in vs. 26,

     'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything',

               it’s ridiculous because he couldn't possibly pay it all back.

 

In clear and sharp contrast, the second slave

            owes the first man just a piddling amount, about $16,

                            a debt you could easily to pay off in a fairly short time.

Then the second slave uses the same words that the first man,

             'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'

 

This is intended to heighten and help us see the clear contrast

            between the grace   that the first man    received from the king.

                        and his cruel refusal   to extend that grace to another.

 

The point is, if we   have truly received grace and compassion,

            then of course we will extend that same grace and compassion,

                        especially in our dealings with others of Christ's Body…

… whether it concerns an issue of conflict or sharp disagreement,

            or something hurtful said or done that needs to be forgiven.

 

The Church by definition, are those who have received God’s grace,

            and who are called to reflect that truth and mercy of the Lord,

                                        and to demonstrate the reality and blessing

                                                of the Spirit’s presence and power in our lives.

 

* If God can forgive my lifetime of sins, failings and wrongdoing,

            then can’t I forgive and show grace toward sins done to me?

* If God can stand

            the foolish wrong-headedness of those who disagree with me

                        then surely I can wait, remain in fellowship,  and trust à

                            God’s promise   that all will be set right in the end.

 

Now that's easy enough and even possible for the minor annoyances,

            but how about the serious and significant wrongs and issues,

                   things that severely impact, things that leave a deep scar?

How do we do grace and forgiveness when the stakes are very high,

            or when the damage done was very destructive and devastating?

 

Years ago I was cheated in business by a Christian friend I trusted,

            --  which completely shattered the career path I was.

 

For years I was filled with hate, rage, resentment and venom

     and reveled   in others concurring with how I had been wronged,

                how my life and dreams were destroyed by that person's greed.

 

In time I could see that my bitter attitude

            was a self-destructive toxin eating away at my life,

    so I resolved to forgive, to move past it and get on with my life.

 

              But if you have ever tried to forgive and get past something

                    truly destructive and evil, live-shattering and personal,

                             then you already know that it’s not that easy or simple.

 

Back in North Carolina we had a mimosa tree in our front yard,

            that got damaged by a hurricane and was looking pretty ratty,

                        so I had get out my chainsaw and cut it down to the roots.

 

            And for years after   new shoots kept sprouting from the stump,

                        and I’d have to trim and cut them off again and again,

                                    until the roots finally dried up, withered and died.

 

Forgiveness and forbearance

            toward those who disagree, toward those who damage and harm us

                        are something like dealing with that mimosa tree,

   -- and ongoing process, a journey in stages, and not all at once.

 

I had thought I’d  resolved and forgiven

            the wrong done to me in business more than 30 years ago…

                        … that I was finally past it, forgiveness achieved…

… but then somehow that person unexpectedly found me online,

            and wanted to talk and reconnect…

**            … and I could feel the mimosa tree within   starting to sprout.

 

We talked, and there was still no sense of regret or remorse,

     but as I intended to forgive again, something shifted this time,

                        and my anger and resentment became a sense of gratitude.

 

You see, had I not been cheated and suffered that business loss,

            I probably would not have lived in VA Beach to meet Kathy,

                        and I doubt I would have considered becoming a pastor…

    …and I would have missed out on

             some of the best and most important things about my life.

 

Forgiveness and gratitude have freed me from dwelling on the past

            and so I can enjoy my present blessings and God's awesome good.

And what joy and peace are mine in knowing that

            God had something bigger and better in the works

                        than anything I could have seen or imagined at the time.

 

*    Forgiveness & unity   these are the primary tasks of the Church.

Forgiveness is the essential that makes Christians truly Christian

                              and what differentiates the Church

                                     from all other human institutions and organizations.

 

Forgiveness is not really an option for us as Christians,

            but it is the difficult path that Jesus commands us to walk;

                                    not as a guilt driven commandment or legalism,

                                                but as an obedient response to God's own grace…

            … for that is the pipe and conduit through which

                        God's grace and blessings flow out   into the world.

 

Today six couples are each celebrating 50 years of being married,

            and with 300 years of marriage experience,  they’ve learned

                the necessity of grace, of forbearance and forgiveness.

 

At the Lord’s Table today, let us ask ourselves,

            who do I know that is waiting to hear me say grace,

                             and what negative thoughts and attitudes do I need

                                    to replace with hope, peace, joy, mercy and grace,

 

            and is my focus really on   building-up the body of Christ?

                and allowing God's grace and forbearance to flow through me?