Printer Friendly VersionSupportive Scriptures: Genesis 26; Genesis 45; Matthew 6:14-15
The seed of the Strangler Fig (in Eastern Australia) is carried
by birds who, failing to digest it, drop it in the tops of the tall trees
of the forest. The seed germinates in the treetops and slowly sends out tendrils
that wind their way around the existing tree trunk. Eventually, the tree is
surrounded and the Strangler roots sink themselves firmly into the soil. Slowly,
as the strangler tree takes root, the host tree dies. Death leads to decay
and the original tree totally disappears. The Strangler Fig is all that is
left. We stuck our heads inside one and looked up through the tall empty column
where the tree once had stood, until we saw the sky.
Bitterness and envy and resentment are like that. So is an unforgiving
spirit. They are little, non-digestible seeds dropped into our heads and hearts
by passing “birds”. They germinate, sending out roots that surround
the happy heart, reach downward, and become firmly rooted in the soil. Soon
the heart shrivels and dies, leaving an empty place where once there was love.
It happened in the life of Jonah. See chapter 4. The story could
be dismissed as impossible except that we have seen it repeated far too often
in the life of the church. For that matter, we have seen it at work in our
own lives. The seeds that destroy us don’t have to be big. Tiny, virtually
invisible seeds of envy, pride, resentment, and anger can bring about disastrous
results. An unkind word, a slight (imagined or real), a broken promise, a
dirty deal -- and little seeds lodge in a crevice of our souls, take root,
and before long, they have grown into a tree that is large enough that vultures
come and roost in its bare branches.
And so we need to return time and again to this theme of forgiveness.
Jesus is dying. He has suffered intensely at the hands of those
around Him. Evil has unleashed its worst fury upon the Lamb of God. They are
still there – watching – waiting – mocking. Jesus pushes Himself
up to get enough breath to speak. He pushes aside the pain to communicate
clearly. It is actually a prayer to His Father, but those who have done this,
need to hear it. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they
are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
We are tempted to say that only the Son of God could forgive
like that. But Luke tells a similar story in the second volume of his history.
Stephen is dying. He has suffered intensely at the hands of those around him.
They are still there – watching – waiting – casting stones.
As Stephen fell to the ground he said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against
them.” (Acts 7:60)
Could it be that Jesus expects all of us to live with that level
of forgiveness? In our ordinary days, are we who are such ordinary people
(neither Divine nor Saints) supposed to respond with such extraordinary grace?
Peter asked a very similar question of the Master.
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he
sins against me?
Up to seven times?” Jesus answered,
“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Matthew 18:21-22
That was not the answer Peter expected. It seems to say that
we must always forgive. Seven times certainly sounds “perfect-ly”
noble. Seventy-seven would surely be extravagant. Some translations put it,
seventy times seven or 490 times – and that seems to be asking a bit
much.
Jesus gives us no loopholes. There are no options and no exceptions.
We must always forgive. This is the point at which Jesus told the story of
the “unmerciful servant”. The man owed millions. But the entire
debt was forgiven by his king – simply because of mercy.
That servant went out and found some one who owed him just a
few dollars. When asked for mercy, this ungrateful man refused to show the
mercy he had received and had his servant thrown in prison.
On hearing this, the king called the rascal back in, chewed
him out, and turned him over for torture and imprisonment. And then Jesus
said this to Peter and the disci;les.
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you
unless you forgive your brother from your heart.
Matthew 18:35, NIV
No loopholes, no options, no exceptions. We must always forgive.
We have probably prayed the Lord’s Prayer thousands of
times. It’s right there in the middle. “Forgive us our sins, just
as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” (Mt. 6:12m NLT)
Forgiving others should not only be the loving response to the forgiveness
we have received. Forgiving others is a “condition” for our own
forgiveness. In case we didn’t get the point, Jesus took time to clarify
it at the end of the prayer – the only comment, in fact, that he made
about the prayer.
If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not
forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14,15, NIV.
No loopholes, no options, no exceptions. We must always forgive.
There are two wonderful stories in the Old Testament that illustrate these
truths.
The story of Isaac is fascinating. You ought to re-read it –
especially Genesis 26. His twin sons don’t get along too well. One has
considered his birthright not worth very much. He and his two wives became
a source of grief to him. Before long, the other son will cheat and connive
and lie, and steal the blessing – with the assistance of his mother,
even! And then flee to a distant country to find safety.
In the midst of all these troubles, there is a famine in the
land and Isaac is considering leaving the country. Here is a summary of what
followed.
God said, “Don’t go to Egypt. Stay here.” Isaac
said, “Okay.” And he stayed. And God blessed him. Then the local
king became afraid of him and filled in all his wells. He told Isaac, “Go
away!” Isaac said, “Okay.” And He went away. And he dug a well.
His enemies took it. He dug a second well. And his enemies took it. Then he
dug a third well. And because in spite of the opposition he had become more
powerful, his enemies were afraid he would retaliate and so they came to visit
him. And Isaac threw them a party. What a wimp! What a glorious wimp!
A man strong enough to obey without argument, even when it made
no sense.
A man strong enough to yield rather than retaliate.
A man strong enough to forgive rather than take revenge.
A man powerful enough that his enemies were afraid of him
but who never used that power to his own advantage.
How . . . Christlike!
The story of Joseph is equally amazing. Partially because of
his parents’ making him the favorite and because of his own boasting,
he was hated by his brothers. They wanted to kill him. Instead the 10 of them
who ganged up on their little brother and sold him into slavery. Then they
convinced their father that Joseph was dead.
Joseph had to live in foreign country and learn a new language
and culture. Because he wouldn’t sleep with his employer/owner, she falsely
accused him of rape. He was imprisoned on those false charges for an indefinite
time. He was later forgotten by his friend the Cupbearer and so the release
from prison he hoped for didn’t come.
But in the story of Joseph there is never a mention of resentment
or bitterness in any of those situations – not even when he had the opportunity
to get even.
Joseph, because of his character, rose to power in Egypt. His
brothers came, looking for food to survive the famine. He gave them the grain
and returned the money with which they tried to pay for it. Finally, he revealed
his identity to his brothers, and they were terrified! Why shouldn’t
they be?! And Joseph? He just forgave them – with tears – and threw
them a party! How . . . Christlike!
In a “me first” world – in a “sue the socks
off them” world – in an “I’ll get even” world –
we need a lot more people like Isaac and his grandson Joseph.
The people who crucified Jesus didn’t deserve to be forgiven.
They didn’t even ask to be forgiven. But Jesus forgave them anyway. I
still have that picture in my mind of Pope John Paul II in a prison cell,
cheek to cheek with the man who tried to kill him – offering forgiveness
and prayer. How . . . Christlike!
Our forgiveness may not right the wrong or absolve the sinner
or free the prisoner or change the heart of the one who did evil to us. But
giving that forgiveness will change us. If we hang on to the anger and bitterness
and resentment, the poison will kill us and shrivel our hearts to about Grinch-size.
And remember, Jesus said that if we don’t forgive each other, the Heavenly
Father will not forgive us.
But it takes grace to forgive – a whole lot of grace. More
than we have in ourselves. However, grace is something God has an abundant
supply of – grace not just to pour over us, but also to pour through
us. Not only are we people who need to be forgiven, but we are people who
need to forgive. Sometimes (when the one we wronged or the one who wronged
us has died, for example) we can neither ask for forgiveness nor speak words
of forgiveness. But we can still forgive. And we must. For their sake. For
our own sake. For Jesus’ sake.
We are invited this morning to Beersheba (Genesis 26) -- the
well where a feast was held and peace was made and oaths were taken. It is
as David wrote later – The Good Shepherd has done the same for all of
us. He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies.
In the course of this sermon, you may well have thought of someone
you need to forgive. Probably you haven’t reached the point of forgiving
him or her or them 290 times. So do it. Forgive. It would be so . . . Christlike!
May God grant us each an abundance of the Grace to Forgive!!
Possible Songs:
SL # 732 I Then Shall Live
You Are My King
