“Hard Sayings of Jesus: Infinite Forgiveness” by Rev Cody Sandahl – February 7, 2016
Introduction
We are still in our series looking at some of the hard sayings of Jesus. Last week we looked at our need to both empty and fill. Empty out whatever separates us from God and then fill that replace it with the Spirit of Christ.
This week our text is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s provision. I plan out our sermon series and Scriptures a few months in advance, and I had scheduled this week to talk about Jesus saying, “let the dead bury their own dead.” But I was thinking about changing this week’s text because several people in our church had asked me to talk about praying for our enemies. Then I looked at the schedule I created and actually I had put in the wrong text. Instead of “let the dead bury their own dead,” I accidentally put in this text about forgiveness and our first reading today – praying for your enemies. I guess the Holy Spirit knows more than I do.
So hear what the Spirit wanted preached today, not what I had planned.
Matthew 18:18-22
18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
21Then 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?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
Infinite Forgiveness
Two brothers were about to go to bed when something happened. Somehow Harry hit James with a stick, which resulted in tears, bitter words, and charges and accusations. As their mother got them ready for bed, she told James, “Before you go to bed tonight you’re going to have to forgive your brother.” James contemplated this and replied, “Well OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if I don’t die in the night, he’d better look out in the morning!”
Another set of brothers got into a fight – I don’t know why it’s always brothers in these stories, but I can certainly attest to the frequency of brotherly brouhahas. Their dad was debriefing the chain of events that resulted – nay COMPELLED them to hit each other. The older one said, “Well he hit me first.” “And what did you do?” “I did what Jesus said and turned the other cheek.” Surprised, the father said, “OK – that’s great – but how did you wind up in the fight later?” “Oh that’s easy. He hit me again and I didn’t have any more cheeks to turn.”
These might sound silly, but they’re basically the same questions that Peter has for Jesus. He’s asking what we should do when we have a fight. But before we laugh at Peter for his question, consider this. The standard teaching in Judaism at the time was that forgiving three times constituted a generous heart. Peter, after hanging out with Jesus, is willing to grant more than DOUBLE the culture’s answer to the question. That’s pretty good!
Have you ever asked, “how many times do I have to keep forgiving?” Have you ever asked, “how can I ever forgive this person?” Have you ever asked, “how can I ever forgive myself?” [LONG PAUSE]
I bet Peter was expecting a pat on the back for his show of generosity. But instead Jesus replies, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” So going back to the second set of brothers, does that mean we have to keep one of those clickers they have at concerts to count how many people come through the door, and once the clicker hits seventy-eight we can stop turning our cheeks? That’s our signal to let the fists fly?
Now that sounds like a big number, right? Some translations have Jesus saying, seventy times seven – that’s 490. That’s an even bigger number. But I guarantee you my brother and I fought more than 490 times. I guarantee you that most of the married couples in this room have had more than 490 times they needed to grant or receive forgiveness. It’s a big number, but it’s a number we can reach with the people who are closest with us. So is Jesus saying, “forgive strangers all the time, but you don’t have to forgive your family and friends after a few years?”
Have you ever thought, “I used to be able to forgive them, but now there’s too much water under the bridge?” Have you ever reached your limit? Even if it’s a big number, have you ever reached it?
The great scholar and theologian Bruce Metzger said of numbers like this in the Bible that, “they don’t mean what they say, they mean what they mean.” In other words, the point isn’t literally forgiving someone 77 times, or even 490 times. The point is that Jesus is commanding infinite forgiveness. The Jewish culture said you were off the hook after three times. Jesus says you’re never off the hook. Never. Never. That’s a hard saying of Jesus.
Is It Possible?
But it’s also a hopeful saying of Jesus. Because Jesus wouldn’t command infinite forgiveness if he didn’t also make each and every one of us with the ability to forgive. Think about that – Jesus made you, made me, made all of us with the capacity for infinite forgiveness. He doesn’t say forgiveness has to happen immediately, just that it has to happen.
But why is Jesus commanding infinite forgiveness? There is a story about Leonardo da Vinci that when he was in the midst of painting The Last Supper, he was about to paint the face of Jesus. But earlier that day he had a confrontation with another man and he was so furious he physically threatened the other guy. Still fuming, he returned to his studio and resumed painting. But every time he tried to paint the Savior’s face, the brush strokes wouldn’t come. Finally da Vinci realized the problem. He put down his brush, sought out the man he had threatened, and asked for forgiveness. Then the brush strokes came freely. His anger prevented him from knowing the face of Christ. His lack of forgiveness prevented him from painting the face of Christ. His need to receive forgiveness separated him from the face of Christ.
That’s our problem, too. That’s why Jesus commands infinite forgiveness. Because a lack of forgiveness within our hearts separates us from the face of Christ. Our unforgiving hearts can’t stand to be in the presence of the One who forgave us all our sins.
Is there anything in your life you’re still holding on to – anything that prevents you from knowing the face of Christ – anything that causes your blood to boil so you can’t sit down with the Prince of Peace? [LONG PAUSE]
Horace Bushnell once said, “Forgiveness is man’s deepest need and God’s highest achievement.” You and I NEED to grant and receive forgiveness. And it’s possible. It’s within us. We can choose forgiveness.
Enemies
I said earlier that several congregants had asked me to address our first text today – praying for our enemies. Specifically, the question arose around groups like ISIS. How do we forgive someone who wants to behead us for our faith? How do we pray for someone who has literally killed Christians simply for being Christian? That’s an excellent question.
First off, let me tell you a Colorado story. On February 9, 1960 – that’s 56 years ago this Tuesday – Adolph Coors III was murdered by Joseph Corbett. Adolph’s body was found near Pike’s Peak and an international manhunt finally apprehended Corbett. Adolph’s son, Ad Coors, had his world turned upside down and found his heart fueled with rage and hatred for Corbett. Later in life, Ad became a Christian and one day he was challenged that, “Someday you’re going to have to forgive Joseph Corbett.”
Over time through prayer, Ad was eventually compelled by the Holy Spirit to visit Corbett at the prison. Corbett refused to see him, so Ad left him a Bible with this message written in it: “I’m here to see you today and I’m sorry that we could not meet. As a Christian I am summoned by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to forgive. I do forgive you, and I ask you to forgive me for the hatred I’ve held in my heart for you.” To put an even finer point on it, Ad later said, “I have a love for that man that only Jesus Christ could have put in my heart.”
So, is Jesus telling us to forgive even someone who wants to kill us and our families? Yes. Is Jesus telling us to pray for – to LOVE, to want the BEST for – even someone who wants to kill us and our families? Yes. Talk about a hard saying.
Now maybe you’re thinking, “But that was just a murder. ISIS wants to kill anyone who simply believes in Jesus. That’s different.” But Jesus says in Matthew 5, “11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus doesn’t make an exception for people who hate him. Even then we’re supposed to offer forgiveness and even pray for and even want the BEST for them. A very hard saying.
So here’s the very hard challenge. Pray for the people who are deceived by the message of ISIS. If you’ve been struck by tragedy as the Coors family was, pray for the ones who perpetrated it. As we continue in this political season, if you feel threatened by some or all of the candidates, pray for them. If your boss at work is a vampire upon your soul, pray for them. If you and your spouse are furious with each other, pray for them. Who do you NEED to pray for, now that you’ve heard this hard saying of Jesus? Your forgiveness and your prayer are the price of admission for coming nearer to the face of Christ. [LONG PAUSE]
Progression
That’s a lot to chew all at once, so let’s rewind a bit and see how we can saddle up to this monster of a horse.
The first step is forgiveness, right? If you can’t yet forgive someone, pray for Christ to give you the ability to forgive them. That’s pretty much what Ad Coors had to do before he could even think about forgiving Corbett. Pray, “Jesus, I know I’m supposed to forgive this person, but I can’t right now. Help me forgive them eventually.”
The next step is to choose forgiveness. It’s just an internal switch. It’s a hard one to flip, but all that stands between you and forgiveness is your heart. Maybe as part of this, you realize like da Vinci that you need to also ask for forgiveness. Maybe.
The next step is to pray for and want the BEST for this current or former enemy. Now the cynical might point out that Jesus was nonspecific as to how we should pray for an enemy. You’ll probably want to pray something like Psalm 137, “Happy shall they be who pay you back for what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!” Hey Jesus, I’m just praying Scripture over my enemies! I get credit, right?
Instead of praying for your enemies’ destruction, I would suggest doing what we did for forgiveness. First pray for the ability to pray for your enemies. “Jesus, I know I’m supposed to pray for and want the BEST for my enemies, but I can’t right now. Give me the ability to pray for those deceived by ISIS…give me the ability to pray for the one who destroyed my life…give me the ability to pray for these candidates…give me the ability to pray for my friend or my spouse or my family member.”
And finally, pray for your enemies. Pray for the best for them. You know what the best thing is for someone deceived by ISIS? To change their worldview and renounce violence. The best would be for them to come to know Christ. Can you pray for that?
Summary
Sisters and brothers, Jesus commands infinite forgiveness. But that also means he built us with the capacity to forgive regardless of the circumstances.
Jesus even went so far as to command us to pray for and want the best for our enemies.
These are some of the hardest sayings of Jesus. But he knows that. Ask for his help. Ask him to help you forgive. Ask him to help you pray for and want the best for your enemies. It’s your ticket to a closer look at Christ’s face. Amen.
