This
morning’s passage is the classic example of a story whose theme (that of
forgiveness) is universal but whose literary punch is lost because the culture
that it is immersed within does not translate all that smoothly into our vernacular. In the case of these verses, the punch is
delivered though monetary units. For
example, while some of us might know the exchange rate between the dollar and
the yen, or the euro, we have no idea how many dollars it takes to equals a denarii, let alone a talent. However, if we are to understand the scope of
the situation that is being placed before us, knowing what these monetary rates
equate to is exactly what we are called to do.
Therefore, here’s your cheat sheet as to what
you are about to hear. Now while we
cannot be completely certain as the value of each of these units, this is the
best guess that is out there. The talent
was the largest monetary value that the Roman Empire minted and it was
traditionally viewed as an amount that was only handled by the extremely
wealthy or, as the case may be, governments.
For example: according to a Roman historian of the day, the tax that was
collected from all of the people of Judea, Idumea,
and Samaria was 600 talents. This
incredibly large amount pales in comparison to the 10,000 talents that we are
told the indebted slave owes. What this
means is that what is owed measures in the billions, or in the literary world,
represents a figure that could never be repaid.
The second coin that we encounter is the
denarii. It was a silver Roman coin that
represented a worker’s daily wage. It
also took 6000 denarii to equal one talent.
As we will be told in this passage, there is another debt that is owed:
that of 100 denarii. This is also a
whole lot of money to repay, but it can be done, especially when compared the
debt that was previously spoken of.
These comparisons, as well as the different
reactions that take place in regards to each of the respective debts allows us
the opportunity to ask the question, if I have forgiven this much, how am I to
act as I then move forward in my life in the world? The scripture reads this way.
Matthew 18:21-35
21 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?”
22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you,
seventy-seven times.
23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be
compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When
he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to
him; 25 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. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have
patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity
for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 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.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have
patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he
went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 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. 32 Then
his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked
slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should
you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And
in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire
debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if
you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
As I started working on this passage, I
focused exclusively on the issue of forgiveness. This is the point that jumps out at us
initially due to the fact that we hear the words, “the lord released him and
forgave him of his debt.” A debt that was worth billions, forgiven.
However, I became transfixed by the symmetry
that played out first by the slave, and then to that very same slave. It starts out with him on his knees, in front
of his lord, begging, “have patience with me, and I will pay you
everything.” Think about that statement
and the percentage of likelihood that it could occur. This was a debt that measures, at least
today, in the billions of dollars and he was a common day laborer. There was no way that he could have ever
repaid that debt, and yet, this is what he places before his lord.
So what does the lord do? Does he put the slave into jail and sell off
the slave’s family and all of the positions that he has so as to recoup as many
of the lost funds as possible? No. Instead he forgives him. Says, “You’re free and
clear. Your debt is
forgiven. Go and live the rest of your
life free of the burden of such a responsibility.”
Think of the reaction the slave must have had. Or said in a different way, if you were in
that person’s shoes, how would you react?
Here’s one possible example, said in the stone cold quiet of a
disbelieving mind: “No way! How could
such a thing happen? How is this
possible?” Then sheer joy. I imagine the man, I imagine myself, shouting
at the top of my lungs; hugging every innocent bystander that gets in his way;
displaying the light of an individual who was been given a new lease on
life.
As we get started in a new program year, one of
the things that this passage caused me to think about is just
how much God loves us (which is the shift from the obvious theme). Because here’s the thing: what does
forgiveness derive from? Where does the ability and the desire to forgive come from?
It comes from love; a love that is greater
then what you are owed, a love that is stronger than any of the damage that the
debt has created; a love that will not abate.
The reason that we gather as a community of
faith, is because we, as people who are in need of forgiveness, have been
embraced, in some way, by a love that is greater than the debt that we have
created.
Sin, those actions and inactions that are
contrary to the way of God, they separate us from one another and from the
Almighty. It causes us to pile up a debt
that could never be repaid by ourselves in multiple lifetimes, let alone our
solitary life. And if you are thinking
that your particular wrongs really aren’t all that bad: that isn’t what we hear
in scripture. What we hear in scripture is
that any and all sin separates us equally from one another and the Divine: and
there is no way to even that score in and of our own accord. Think of it like trying to jump the Grand
Canyon … while being tied at your ankles.
It’s not happening!
That’s where we are at and then a love that
reaches out in such a way to pay our debt (which is the sacrifice of Jesus on a
cross) and we are forgiven. God loves us
that much.
So again, our initial reaction is of blissful
shock to the point of disbelief. That is
why we gather together in this place, received in that love. I would be grateful if this is where the
story ends, but as we know, not only from our passage, but absolutely from our
own lives, we struggle to stay in that place of loving forgiveness for
long. We are a fallen and broken people,
and when we see wrongs against us, one of our basic leanings is to try and get
what we feel is owed, … even when we have just been
embraced by a love that allows us to be forgiven.
This is where the scripture passage picks
back up because before the servant who has been forgiven so much makes it
beyond the courtyard walls, sees a fellow slave; a slave who happens to owe him
some money. A pretty
decent amount, but when compared to the amount that had just been forgiven,
almost nothing; a whisper in the midst of an oceans never-ending roar.
In an instant, this slave who has just been
jumping for joy at the freedom he has been granted,
grabs the other slave by the throat, beginning to choke the breath out of him, and
snarls, “pay what you owe”. The other
slave falls to his knees and says the exact same thing that his lender has said
only a few seconds earlier, “have patience with me, and I will pay you”. Does he show the same mercy that he had just
received? Does he recognize the
opportunity that he has to live out the new life that he has been granted? No. He
throws the fellow slave into prison.
The difficult thing to admit, however, is
that all of us, regardless of where we are in this sanctuary, or for that
matter if we’re not in this sanctuary at all, we are guilty of at least some
version of this misstep: where we rejoice in our own loving forgiveness, but
then fail to show it when we have the opportunity to
do so. We all fall short of the example
of Christ that we have been called to follow.
As we just mentioned, we are sinners; sinful by nature. If we do not acknowledge that reality, we
ignore one of the basic theological tenets that we stand upon. All of us are guilty.
However, just because we are guilty does not
mean that we are a lost cause. This fact
pulls us back to the base theme of the passage: the love of God as experienced
through the forgiveness of God.
Once again, think about how indebted that
slave was. Billions in
arrears. There was no way that he
could ever dig himself out of the hole that he had placed himself in, and yet,
even in such a deplorable state, with no possible hope available, hope was
given; a reprieve was extended; forgiveness was granted; love was shown.
Even in those times when we are lamentably
and completely guilty, if we go before God and ask for forgiveness, it will be
granted. What a miracle. What an opportunity to start again and live a
life that is free of the sin that all of us are responsible for; free to live a
life that exudes the love, grace, guidance, and forgiveness that have been
shown to each of us.
Brothers and sisters, we are called to be a
people of faith. And as we start out our
new program year, let us start it out right by being joined together so that we
might be able to support each other as we serve the Lord in every circumstance
that we face. Very simply, since we have
been called to be a people of faith, then let us live by faith. Let us not be controlled by our fears, our
biases, our hypocrisies, our sinfulness that leads us
to be separated and broken. Let us
instead be led by our faith, together, as one unified family. Let us follow the leading of the Holy Spirit
and start to get it right instead of just trying to avoid doing it wrong.
It can be real easy to receive one thing
(loving forgiveness) and then not share it when it is our turn. However, just because our sinful nature pulls
us in that direction does not mean that we should give in to it. Fight it, and through the leading of the Holy
Spirit discover how rewarding getting it right with and for God can truly be.
After Sermon
Prayer
Lord, You have called us to acknowledge our sinfulness and bow
before You so that we might be able to be washed clean in Your forgiveness. This freedom allows us the opportunity to
grow beyond our fallen nature and begin to get it right in You. Lord, we thank You
for this opportunity: and opportunity that we do not deserve. Lead us in the ways that we should go, the
things that we should say. Show us how,
in and through You, we can get it right. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.