Mt. 18:21-35, rom. 14:1-14 Sept. 11 Sermon Notes

Rom. 14:1-12, Mt. 18:21-35 Sept 11 Forgiveness

Forgiveness-Public and Private (see Miroslav Volf) certainly emerges as we mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington.

The example of Romans for everyday life-Paul is dealing with folks who have decided to have conflict on the opening of doors to different ideas and different people. The presenting issue is over the religious dimensions of food, but it is a cover I think. If it were not this, some other issue would emerge. We do however raise the trivial to the level of principle when we get into arguments all of the time. Paul does a remarkable thing here. He says that instead of lording over someone whom we are convinced does not understand the faith properly, we still give them room, the benefit of the doubt. We do not try to impose our view on them. Instead, we accept their view as a legitimate. Now I think I am going a good way when i do this alone, especially when i want reciprocity as in I am not going to insist or try impose my view upon you, but don;t even think of trying to impose your view of the matter on me. Paul goes further. he says that I should allow their mistaken opinion to affect my actions if I think it could cause them religious uncertainty. Judging others often precludes forgiveness; it may well be its great obstacle.

In a time when we are arguing about public debt, Jesus uses it as a springboard for a parable. The amount of money would be as staggering as the national debt now but as it’s a story a man owes a bazillion dollars. Real money is owed to the servant, maybe 5K. Notice that Jesus is using an example of economic debts, just as we pray in the Lord’s prayer from Matthew's gospel. Our perspective is usually self-involved. We way overestimate the amount we have been injured, and we way underestimate the amount of pain we cause others. we deflate the claims of others and inflate our own claims. we can be forgiven much and accept it easily as our right. We cannot bring ourselves to offer forgiveness for much much smaller slights.The thrust of the parable is to get us to move into the spirit of the Lord’s Prayer. if we are asking God to accept our measure of forgiveness, will it not then push us into being more generous with our own standard of forgiveness?

So often, when we approach this issue we take on the mantle of the one having been hurt, as we all have been. we are not only victims, however, we are also the direct cause of hurt and harm, at both the personal and public levels. When we cause harm, we want to minimize, or push the blame on to someone else, or say that we were pushed into doing it by larger malign forces, usually someone else.

If we take the phrase of Christ being with two or three gathered, what if it leads into these forgiveness accounts. The presence of Christ is with forgiveness.Non-retaliation starts the process of forgiveness. If a relationship is present, forgiveness seeks to heal the breach. forgiveness seeks to see the other as whole, not only as a victim or disputant. forgiveness learns to let go of the hurt and grudges. No we are not made to be doormats, but neither are we to treat other people as doormats.
Jesus argues for the hope of reciprocity of forgiveness at the hands of God. It approaches the Lord’s Prayer, what measure of forgiveness should God use? The measure we offer others.
Shakespeare said that we are most like God’s way when mercy season justice.