Matthew 18:35 - So also my heavenly father will do to you unless you forgive your brother (or sister) from your heart.
We have circled around to the original question: How many times must I forgive someone? This proclamation strongly implies that forgiveness is essential to having a good relationship with God. When we, who have been forgiven so much, refuse to forgive others, we become monsters: greedy, judgmental, grudgeholders. That is the natural consequence of not having a forgiving heart: a heart of stone.
A reminder here, that this verse says nothing about forgetting or keeping that person in your life. Sometimes, those are not wise or possible.
Having said these two things, I'm troubled here by Jesus' statement that God would send us to prison or torture until our debts are paid. It would be easy to say, "Well you can carry the metaphor too far" (Jesus carried it that far!) or even, "Well, it's not God it's you or the person who is unforgiving choosing such." Neither of these is satisfying to me. Also, well, anything God does is good. I'm still thinking on this. ...
B
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Torturers
Matthew 18:34 - And in his anger he handed over the slave to the torturers until all the debt should be paid.
My note says torturers. Most translations say jail. Either way, Jesus makes it clear that there are consequences for not being a forgiving person. Now, we (theoretically) do not have debtor's prison anymore. However, as I can see in many people who support Trump or Republicans, there is an anger and a hurt underneath their facades. This anger, in my theory, stems from their ungracious nature. Where that might come from is anybody's guess - I'm sure the origins are different for each. However, the anger is the same. The anger and the hurt. The feeling of loss. This anger, hurt and loss is a kind of torture for them. They don't know where it comes from; it's just there. Even in McConnell and Ryan, it's there. They are trapped in a prison of their own making. A slow torture that never goes away. And like our slave this morning, they alone hold the key to freedom. Pay the debt, forgive their enemies, be generous. Those are the keys for all of us to release ourselves from prisons of our minds.
These keys are difficult because they require us to examine our lives. That is difficult because that in turn means examining how the world fits with what we already believe, with what we've been taught and our own experiences. Sometimes, that means questioning the authority figures of our childhood; parents, teachers, pastors. That is difficult - and yet it is the only way to freedom. Most of us never take it. I myself take it grudgingly. Yet, the reward is always worth the effort - in the end.
B
My note says torturers. Most translations say jail. Either way, Jesus makes it clear that there are consequences for not being a forgiving person. Now, we (theoretically) do not have debtor's prison anymore. However, as I can see in many people who support Trump or Republicans, there is an anger and a hurt underneath their facades. This anger, in my theory, stems from their ungracious nature. Where that might come from is anybody's guess - I'm sure the origins are different for each. However, the anger is the same. The anger and the hurt. The feeling of loss. This anger, hurt and loss is a kind of torture for them. They don't know where it comes from; it's just there. Even in McConnell and Ryan, it's there. They are trapped in a prison of their own making. A slow torture that never goes away. And like our slave this morning, they alone hold the key to freedom. Pay the debt, forgive their enemies, be generous. Those are the keys for all of us to release ourselves from prisons of our minds.
These keys are difficult because they require us to examine our lives. That is difficult because that in turn means examining how the world fits with what we already believe, with what we've been taught and our own experiences. Sometimes, that means questioning the authority figures of our childhood; parents, teachers, pastors. That is difficult - and yet it is the only way to freedom. Most of us never take it. I myself take it grudgingly. Yet, the reward is always worth the effort - in the end.
B
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Be merciful
Matthew 18:32-33 - Then his lord summoned him and said to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave all that debt because you asked me; should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant as I have had mercy on you?"
This brings me in mind of the Lord's Prayer: Forgive us as we forgive others. It should read, forgive us for we also forgive others. God has had mercy on us, we have mercy on others, God continues to have mercy on us. But it doesn't quite work that way. God has already forgiven us everything; we don't feel it because we are not forgiving of others. ...
God always has mercy and forgives. We are the unforgiving party. We are that wicked slave. Yet God forgives even that - regardless of how this particular parable ends.
B
This brings me in mind of the Lord's Prayer: Forgive us as we forgive others. It should read, forgive us for we also forgive others. God has had mercy on us, we have mercy on others, God continues to have mercy on us. But it doesn't quite work that way. God has already forgiven us everything; we don't feel it because we are not forgiving of others. ...
God always has mercy and forgives. We are the unforgiving party. We are that wicked slave. Yet God forgives even that - regardless of how this particular parable ends.
B
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Whistleblowers!
Matthew 18:31 - When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went to their master and reported all that had taken place.
God bless the whistleblowers! Without them we would have much more corruption than we do now. It is due to whistleblowers, leakers if you will, that we are finally discovering just how corrupt the Republican party is and how corrupt Trump is.
Accountability is a mark of maturity, both spiritual maturity and emotional maturity. May we always be grateful to those who keep us accountable.
B
God bless the whistleblowers! Without them we would have much more corruption than we do now. It is due to whistleblowers, leakers if you will, that we are finally discovering just how corrupt the Republican party is and how corrupt Trump is.
Accountability is a mark of maturity, both spiritual maturity and emotional maturity. May we always be grateful to those who keep us accountable.
B
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Ungracious!
Matthew 18:30 - He did not but rather went and threw him in prison until the debt should be paid.
Yes, I think we can all remember times when we have been ungrateful like this. Probably not to the extent of putting someone in prison, but there have been times when we could have shown mercy and did not.
We would like to say we are the persecuted or the servants who spoke up (coming up next) but we are also the ungrateful servant. The great thing is that God's love and forgiveness are infinite. We can always ask for forgiveness with the assurance that it will be given. Sometimes, we do not feel forgiven until we make amends to those we have hurt. But God always forgives. Lord, help us to follow in your way.
B
Yes, I think we can all remember times when we have been ungrateful like this. Probably not to the extent of putting someone in prison, but there have been times when we could have shown mercy and did not.
We would like to say we are the persecuted or the servants who spoke up (coming up next) but we are also the ungrateful servant. The great thing is that God's love and forgiveness are infinite. We can always ask for forgiveness with the assurance that it will be given. Sometimes, we do not feel forgiven until we make amends to those we have hurt. But God always forgives. Lord, help us to follow in your way.
B
Monday, May 8, 2017
Have Patience
Matthew 18:29 - So this fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, "Have patience with me and I will pay you."
Will the servant relent and forgive the debt? Of course not! He was already violent with his fellow slave. How many of us are just as unforgiving?
And how many of us are in need of such forgiveness? The good news here is that God is very patient with us.
B
Will the servant relent and forgive the debt? Of course not! He was already violent with his fellow slave. How many of us are just as unforgiving?
And how many of us are in need of such forgiveness? The good news here is that God is very patient with us.
B
Friday, May 5, 2017
Pay What You Owe!
Matthew 18:28 - But this same servant, as he was leaving came upon a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him by the throat saying, "Pay what you owe!"
And can't we all relate to this. Well, I can. It makes me uncomfortable to know I have done this to others. Not the grabbing part but the attitude in general. Wanting people to act like I want them to - even though I do not always please others with my actions. Taking the good things for granted and not valuing things properly. The US House of Reps is doing this now - well, the republicans anyway. They are taking from us, although they have been reprieved.
However, look at the difference in attitude: the king did not yell or get physical, the slave did. I wonder if the slave felt demoralized after having been forgiven so much? Maybe? Felt like he needed to assert himself somehow, so he took it out on another. I could easily be reading my own thoughts into the text here in an effort to understand the slave's actions. It's possible he was being greedy and the story pretty much says that, but the story doesn't tell us how he was feeling. Was he grateful? Or was he like a Republican and took his reprieve for granted?
B
And can't we all relate to this. Well, I can. It makes me uncomfortable to know I have done this to others. Not the grabbing part but the attitude in general. Wanting people to act like I want them to - even though I do not always please others with my actions. Taking the good things for granted and not valuing things properly. The US House of Reps is doing this now - well, the republicans anyway. They are taking from us, although they have been reprieved.
However, look at the difference in attitude: the king did not yell or get physical, the slave did. I wonder if the slave felt demoralized after having been forgiven so much? Maybe? Felt like he needed to assert himself somehow, so he took it out on another. I could easily be reading my own thoughts into the text here in an effort to understand the slave's actions. It's possible he was being greedy and the story pretty much says that, but the story doesn't tell us how he was feeling. Was he grateful? Or was he like a Republican and took his reprieve for granted?
B
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