"Forgiveness is the Heart of the Christian Life" Trinity 22 — October 27, 2024

27. November 2024 — Trinity 22 — Matthew 18:21-35

In Name of the + Jesus. Amen.

Forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus is the heart of the church. And forgiveness of each other is the heart of the Christian life. This is why Jesus would have you pray multiple times daily, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Apart from Christ’s forgiveness, you would face the threat of judgment, hell, and eternal torment. But in Christ, you are released from the slavery and everlasting punishment you deserve and forgiven all the debt owed to God for your sin. By Christ’s design, He has given you, His church, to live in this forgiveness—proclaimed from the pulpit, put upon your head in Absolution, wrapped around you in Baptism, and given to you to eat in the Sacrament.

This week, on Thursday, we will recognize the Lutheran Reformation. On October 31st, 1517, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther posted 95 theses on penance and indulgences on the Castle Church door. It was a common practice in the day, akin to posting a screed on social media for discussion and conversation. But Luther’s posting sparked a renewed focus on “What does the Bible say?” As the theses began to expose, the Catholic Church in the West had departed from her core confession. We are saved by grace alone, sola gratia, through faith alone, sola fides, as revealed in the Holy Word, sola Scriptura.

Luther’s first thesis was this: “When our Lord Jesus said ‘repent.’ He meant that the whole of the Christian life should be repentance.” Later, Luther would more fully confess that repentance has two parts: first, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive Absolution, that is, forgiveness. This forgiveness, received in Jesus’ name, works with faith that forgives the neighbor. The rejection of forgiveness of sins in favor of man’s works of penance is nothing new.

Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” As generous as Peter seems to be with forgiveness, he still wants to place a limit on it. He’s happy to receive the Lord’s forgiveness, over and over without limit, but wants to know when he can set aside forgiveness in favor of wrath. This gets right at the scandal of this abundant, free forgiveness in Jesus. First, Jesus forgives every repentant sinner every time. There is never a point when Jesus withholds forgiveness from those who confess and turn to Him in faith for mercy and grace. Never. He is long-suffering, patient, and compassionate.

Like Peter, we have no problem receiving forgiveness from God ourselves. The scandal of Christ’s cross and shed blood is that this forgiveness is extended to the whole world. It is given even to those we think God should punish: the bully, the gossiper, the hating brother, the thief, the corrupt politician, the Nuremberg Nazi, the dismembering cannibal. That Jesus would die for them and forgive them. Now, that’s scandalous.

Second, as Christ’s setting aside wrath for mercy for the repentant is shocking to us, so are we offended that Jesus would teach us to do the same. We’re willing to go along as far as Peter, that is, seven times. But our flesh finally wants its pound of flesh. In the end, there must be retribution, punishment, payback, and no mercy. Everyone gets what they deserve, and we’re happy to be the ones to give it.

But as Jesus teaches in the parable, the one who refuses to forgive his brother every time (seventy-times-seven) is called “evil” or “wicked.” This is the same Greek word, πονηρός, that our Lord gives in the final petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Deliver us from the Evil One.” Holding a grudge and refusing to forgive your brother, sister, co-worker, pastor, spouse, or enemy is demonic of the Evil One.

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” When a fellow Christian sins against you and repents, you must forgive him. It is not optional. The Christian who refuses to reconcile understands neither the gravity of their sin nor the riches of God’s grace in Christ. That is why the punishment once avoided for the King’s mercy is given to the same servant in full. The servant’s lack of forgiveness for his fellow servant is the same as rejection of the forgiveness of the King.

The first slave was about to receive the punishment he deserved for his debts, yet by the mercy of the King, he didn’t. Then he, in turn, wishes the same sentence upon his neighbor slave. This desire for vengeance is foreign to Christ. “Vengeance is mine [alone],” says the Lord. And Jesus is the one Man who would have been wholly justified in desiring revenge for all that was said and done to Him, yet He suffered it all for your salvation. Because you are Christ’s, suffering all manner of injustice, ill-will, and shame is also yours. Vengeance is not yours to give, only forgiveness. Wrath, anger, punishment, retaliation, and the like have no place in the life of the Christian. We live in Christ’s forgiveness, resulting in peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and love for everyone, especially those of the household of faith.

So why was the servant who refused to forgive finally given the punishment he initially sought to avoid? If the King desired to forgive, why not give it to the servant anyway? The servant who initially spoke from repentance, “Be long-suffering with me!” in turn refused the king's work to change his heart. The King, Jesus, who will come to judge the living and the dead, gives His Spirit, along with forgiveness. The Spirit creates new and clean hearts by the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness has an immediate and lasting effect on how you view yourself and how you view one another. Now, you see everyone as someone whom Christ died for, regardless of what you think they are and what you think they deserve.

To refuse to forgive not only affects you and your offending brother, but it also makes our Christian witness to the world a joke. Remember, forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus is the heart of the church. The greatest scandal in the Christian church is not that God forgives us in Christ or that we are to forgive others. It is when those who call themselves Christian refuse to forgive. To refuse to forgive the repentant brother is to reject the Holy Spirit's work and deny the faith in Christ that He gives.

What is the cure for an unforgiving heart? How can we overcome our grudges, resentments, and refusal to be merciful? Consider the beginning of the parable. Consider the amount of debt, which is the essential point. A talent is twenty year’s wages. Ten thousand talents are thus well over a billion dollars and likely close to ten billion. That is the debt of sin, chief of sinners. Jesus, your King has forgiven you. There is no payback, vengeance, or retribution for those in Christ Jesus. We cannot provide sufficient payment to atone for even one of our sins, let alone the whole load, plus the sinful corruption of our flesh that produces them. Jesus forgives this extraordinary debt by taking responsibility for Himself. Jesus took our sins and paid our debts for us.

St. Peter writes in His epistle, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19) Or as we will confess from Luther’s Small Catechism in this week’s prayers, “He saved us, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood, and His innocent suffering and death.” There’s the gift of the Lutheran Reformation. As all the Scriptures bear witness, you are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Thanks be to God.

Everything begins and ends with God’s having mercy on you, a sinner. God’s forgiveness in Christ is the heart of the church and the beating heart of your Christian life. As you belaieve that you have sinned as God’s Word says you have, you know that Jesus is as merciful as God’s Word says He is. Because you live the baptismal life of daily confessing your sins and being forgiven in Christ’s name, forgiving your brother’s sin is the most natural thing in the world.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church & School - Sherman Center
Random Lake, Wisconsin