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Jesus Forgives (Matthew 16-18)

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Technology is a double-edged sword.

  • Makes tasks easier.
    • Bathrooms > outhouses
    • Microwaves
    • Typing PC > typewriter > research library
    • Mobile phones > corded > phonebooks
  • Makes time more efficient
  • Makes tasks more creative
  • Editing errors
    • Editing aesthetic
    • Creating art…
    • Reaches global

But there’s often a tradeoff. It seems technology wants something not just for us but from us.

Tony Reinke says, “The sweep of technological advance is a gracious gift from God to help us live in a fallen creation… [but] Life in the digital age invites clear, biblical thinking about the impact of [technology] on ourselves, our creation, our neighbors, and our relationships to God. Thoughtlessly adopting new technology is worldliness.”[1]
One journalist in 1964 said, “The biggest big business in America is not steel, automobiles, or television. It is the manufacture, refinement, and distribution of anxiety.”[2]

  • Marketing demographics
  • Ad content & algorithms
  • Distracting us from tasks, tangible beauty, and relationships.
  • Demands for immediate response. Delayed feedback becomes devastating if the likes or approval doesn’t accumulate.
  • Sensory addiction / creating consumers /
    soul thirst wanting more but left empty
  • Private information.
    • Uhh, I just wanted to read a news story, or purchase a pillow…. Why do you need XYZ?
    • As technology advances so does our desire for privacy / autonomy / anonymity

Yet, when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ, our faith is personal but never private. Our belief in God must be more than affirmed words and result into everyday actions. Today’s message will highlight a few chapters in Matthew’s Gospel, along with giving emphasis to one key element in the Christian life.

EXAMINE Matthew 18:15-35

Ch 16-17 are high points of Matthew’s Gospel.

The first of two times in Jesus’ ministry is a reference to the future ἐκκλησίᾳ– church, built on the confession that Jesus is the Messiah who would be crucified, buried and risen on the third day.[3] Jeus will foretell His death at least two other times, at least in explicit terms (Mt 17:22-23; 19:18-19).  

Jesus’ church requires personal faith. He asked, “Who do you say that I am?” The context of this question is amid a city attraction for idol worship in Caesarea Philippi. People came worldwide to this city seeking divine favor upon their life, family/fertility, business/prosperity. Their worship consisted of offerings – personal profit or perverted pleasure, and sacrifices (their best, inclusive of children). 
So, Jesus was asking, “Am I like these other gods?”

different temples:

  1. Greek god of Pan (half goat & man)
  2. Herod Great built temple to Caesar Augustus.
  3. Zeus
  4. 2 other (Upper & Lower) temples for dancing goats.

There was a large cave, that was a water source for the Jordan River. But the city cave was known as the gate of the underworld, pertinent for all that was happening in this area!

Jesus stands before the gates of hell and asks, “What do you believe about me?” This is the question that we are all going to be asked at least once. Some will be asked a few hundred times. You have family and friends who keep talking to you about Jesus. But, you just keep putting off thinking about faith and trusting in Jesus. But there’s coming a day when you will be asked for the last time. Have you considered that today might be your last time hearing about Jesus?

Jesus stands before the gates of hell and asks, “What do you believe about me?” This is the question that we are all going to be asked at least once. Have you considered that today might be your last time hearing about Jesus?

Others might not have the fortune of hearing about Jesus hundreds of times but only a few. And you know that each time is crucial and consequential, but for whatever reason you choose not to advance.

  • Maybe you have doubts or questions. What is holding you from discovering the answers?
  • Perhaps it’s because you’re not ready to give up what you’re holding on as precious. Don’t you realize: “You are no fool to give what you cannot keep gaining what you cannot lose.” – Jim Elliot
  • Conceivably you think there will be more time to confess Jesus as Savior from sin and Lord of life. You’ll do that later – when it’s convenient; when it’s crystal clear with heavenly signs; or way in the future when you know you’re nearing the end, you will muster some strength to make a pronouncement that you believe in Jesus, and God will stylishly sweep you off your feet and elegantly escort you to the eternal heavens. 

My friend, let us follow Peter’s pattern. Peter promptly proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God – far different than dead idols without power or sincere hope to offer worshipers. Jesus acknowledges His identity and declares that Peter (and disciples) will build His church on this hope – and the gates of hell will not prevail.

For centuries… Jesus’ church can be ignored, imprisoned, beaten, beheaded, burned, but no amount of persecution will stop it. If you bury it, it will rise again and multiply in hundreds of locations. The church shines through suffering and perseveres through persecution.
Pharaoh couldn’t enslave it; Herod couldn’t eliminate it; Nero couldn’t extinguish it; Cults couldn’t conquer it; Humanism couldn’t erase it; Secularism couldn’t shrink it; and Progressives cannot suppress it. Jesus’ church is the fruitful seed and the faithful garden which God is growing for His glory among all nations. God is on the move and His church is promised victorious.   

Jesus’ church requires proclaimed faith. Jesus’ followers cannot be private and silent disciples. One’s faith is personal but also lived in public with other people needing to hear, see, and feel the love of Jesus on display. The church is God’s representation of Jesus on earth. It’s why after the resurrection the disciples receive the Holy Spirit. So, Jesus gave the apostles the “keys to the kingdom” to lock and loose with the gospel. Essentially, belief in the gospel loosens the doors and denial locks it out. So, it is the Christian’s responsibility to proclaim the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ so that He’s the praise of every tongue and the joy of every heart.

It is the Christian’s responsibility to proclaim the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ so that He’s the praise of every tongue and the joy of every heart.

They say Disney World is the happiest place on earth. It’s a kingdom with the king’s logo embedded everywhere: architecture details, landscape features, food plating, and anywhere you imagine. It seems Mickey is omnipresent. And the king’s hospitality offers top class customer service treating every guest as royalty. Further, all nations are welcome at Disney, with one noted park, Epcot, themed for travel the world experience of culture, cuisine, and customs of 11 countries. BUT, in this kingdom, life is temporary. Disney is just a vacation and not a homeland. Disney’s kingdom is not a permanent destination because
1) no one could afford to live there, 2) it’s a façade.
The parks and attractions require maintenance,
the cast and staff need respite from the crowds, and
the food & paraphernalia are overpriced.

As Christians, we belong to a far greater kingdom. Heaven is our home with radiant glory of pure gold and unequaled rare jewels without tarnish (Rev 21:9-27). The kingdom of God can never be interrupted and is eternal (Heb 12:28). Jesus is our ever-present king who will walk among us as our God, and us as His precious children. In His presence is fullness of joy, and we will never go empty. His kingdom is populated with those of every tribe, language, and nation from every generation. And best of all, God’s kingdom is available free of charge, with Jesus bearing the full price of the entrance fee (Rev 1:18; 22:17).

Christians, we have a kingdom invitation to proclaim far and wide!

Ch 17 Additionally, a selected few of the disciples see Jesus in transfigured glory with a divine voice affirming Jesus as the beloved Son of God (17:5).[4]

The Transfiguration reveals Jesus’ eternal form. Jesus leads the disciples on a high mountain, and His face shined like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. Blinding radiance. Resplendent glory. And guests appeared: Moses and Elijah with a bright cloud. This experience both frightened the disciples – “they fell on their faces terrified,” and fanaticized them: “Lord, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents [to stay here].” The takeaway is that God “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see”
(1Tim 6:16), but Jesus mediates between God and humanity – in Christ we have the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15) and behold the glory of God (Jn 1:14). Jesus is both infinite and intimate.

Ch 18 Jesus returns from the mountain top to teach the disciples about what it means to be one of His children and part of the family of God. Jesus explains: “Whoever humbles themselves like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (18:4).  Then a few moments later Jesus teaches the disciples that a key indicator that you understand humility is that you understand both repentance and forgiveness.

Sadly, repentance is a word often confined to church. It’s not part of our vocabulary. Yet, it is engrained in our vision for relationships. Deep down we know that without repentance we cannot experience healthy relationships. Because, deep down we know that we are debtors.

In life and relationships, we are either making deposits or withdrawals. We make deposits when we do good, express kindness, and share love with someone. But we make withdrawals when we commit wrong, create harm, or convey callousness or cruelty toward someone. So, Jesus instructs the disciples how to have balanced accounts.

Mat 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”  

Jesus provides us a 3-step process for conflict resolution.[5]      

  1. Speak Up. Approach the offender directly. Don’t triangulate and unnecessarily involve others. Don’t gossip or spread rumors. Simply confront with truth in love. The aim of speaking up is not retaliatory but restoration – to gain your brother.
  2. Stand Out. If the offender is not communicative or contrite, then we stand out with additional accountability. Involving two or three witnesses means people who are not combative but peacemakers and problem-solvers. Also, this may take two or three attempts with the hopeful aim of repentance, forgiveness, and a process toward reconciliation.
  3. Step Back. A last resort for willful disobedience and unrepentance is to tell it to the church ἐκκλησίᾳ and treat them as an unbeliever. This is the process of “church discipline,” where the relationship with the offender is not dissolved but different. Sin disturbs, disrupts, and divides. We must discern when to step back, let go, and escape the hate, and its stressor is unrepentant sin.[6]

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you 7x but 77x.”

Jewish tradition was 3x was sufficient for forgiveness, but a 4th offense not forgiven (cf Amos 2:6). So, Peter attempts to impress Jesus with his own understanding of grace. 7x was symbolic of fullness, and likely Peter’s thinking of generosity.
Jesus responds 77x, which implies not a lesson in mathematics but the merciful character of God.[7]

So, we learn that Jesus’ church requires profound forgiveness. And typical Jesus’ style, He tells a story.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’
27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

The story is about a servant who owed the king an insurmountable amount of money – a talent was a unit of weight – about 75lbs[8], and in financial terms 1 talent = 6K denarii (1 denarri = 1 days wages / 10K = 60 million days = 164K years), so the contemporary application is trillions of dollars.[9]

The king, knowing the servant could not pay, sentenced the servant to be sold into slavery with his wife and children. Seeing no way to make payment and desperately wanting to avoid separation from his family, the servant begged for patience and fell down [προσκυνέω] before the king. Seeking forgiveness is intense because of the guilt and grave consequences. It is also intimate because it entrusts your entire self before the person. Out of compassion and pity the king amazingly forgave the debt.

The forgiveness of such a massive debt is illustrative of God’s forgiveness of the human sin debt. There is no way humans can repay God for his forgiveness.

Psalm 130:3-4 “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death.”

Hebrews 10:27 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”

Luke 12:4 “Do not fear those who kill the body… fear him who after death has authority to cast into hell”

God’s forgiveness can only be accepted by grace through faith. This should be a relief to stop striving to earn acceptance before God. God simply wants you to view salvation as a great gift (Hebrews 2:3), receive it by faith (Romans 10:9-13) and revel in appreciation of your salvation (Romans 11:35-36).

The story continues 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

After the servant experienced massive forgiveness he met one of his workers who similarly owed him a debt. The money was substantially smaller than what he owed, approximately 3-months wages. The difference is like your personal debt compared to the national debt.[10]

After receiving grace, he should have been more likely to give it. Yet, the servant was callous and blind to the compassion he had received. Instead, he placed the worker in prison for his inability to pay.

When the king was informed of this behavior, he exacted the same condemnation the servant sentenced to the servant.

Jesus uses this story to teach that forgiveness of others is linked to God’s forgiveness of us. Those who understand the depths of God’s grace dispensed into their life should share it with others. You have the ability to forgive because you have been forgiven. If forgiveness is not reciprocated, then that person has not or will not truly experience God’s forgiveness (cf. Mt 6:14-15).

Illus: Going through security checkpoints (airports, stadiums) there are armed guards to protect against intruders, custom agents to investigate acceptable entry, and sometimes detection dogs that are trained to sniff out illegal substances or weapons. People with acceptable identification are welcome, but not if they are attempting to bring in forbidden elements.

In the same way, the kingdom of God is closed to those who attempt to bring bitterness, envy, or vengeance (cf Gal 5:20; Eph 4:31-32). We must realize that if we do not pardon the sins of others then we will be poisoned with the sins of ourselves. The poison is the bitterness of not realizing that what we don’t forgive we are dooming ourselves to relive. Our thoughts will be troubled, and our heart haunted with sins that we were never meant to carry. So, we must forgive and we can move forward. We can let go and entrust people for God to discipline in His own methods and timing.

We must realize that if we do not pardon the sins of others then we will be poisoned with the sins of ourselves. The poison is the bitterness of not realizing that what we don’t forgive we are dooming ourselves to relive.

Forgiving others is never easy, just look at the cross of Jesus. Forgiveness comes at a high cost because it always involves a chosen sacrifice. So, we cannot forgive within our own power, but as Christ forgave us. We rely on His grace and strength to forgive others.

It is noteworthy to also mention the myth that forgiveness is forgetting. It is not. God doesn’t have amnesia with our sin, instead He provides atonement. Likewise, in human relationships, through repentance and forgiveness, a relationship can be maintained but it doesn’t necessarily remove every earthly consequence of lessened respect or lost trust. But, choosing to forgive someone is stating that you are allowing them the opportunity to establish dependability and “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Lk 3:8).

God doesn’t have amnesia with our sin, instead He provides atonement.

*And necessarily, we must also mention the context of this passage points out that sin, wrongdoing, and abuse should never be overlooked. While Jesus is emphasizing the essentialness of forgiveness, it is within the context of eliminating temptation (18:7-9), confronting offenders (18:15), and preventing evil (18:17-20). So, if you’re a victim of abuse (1 in 4 women / 1 in 9 men), or if you’ve experienced unnecessary wounds from a friend or church hurt, know that Jesus cares, God’s church here at SPBC stands ready to offer shelter, support, and guidance.  

APPLY/THINK

Jesus’ church requires personal faith.

Are you free in God’s forgiving grace?

Jesus’ church requires proclaimed faith.

If you’ve tasted God’s grace, who are you telling?

Jesus’ church requires profound forgiveness.

Are you drinking the poison of bitterness?
Jesus offers a new cup.

Jesus, rock of ages.

[1] Tony Reinke, 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You. Quotes accessed: https://www.crossway.org/articles/12-notable-quotes-from-12-ways-your-phone-is-changing-you/

[2] Quote from Eric Sevareid. Source: Jon Tyson e-newsletter, 3/13/2024.

[3] Sermons on this chapter: https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2013/07/07/gods-body-matthew-1613-28/,  https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2023/03/27/get-behind-me-satan-matthew-1623/

[4] Sermon on this chapter: https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2021/03/21/cross-centered-living-matthew-171-9/

[5] 3-step approach adapted from Leslie Vernick, The Emotionally Destructive Relationship

[6] https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2024/03/13/escape-the-hate/

[7] Cf. Genesis 4:24 Jesus is possibly contrasting Lamech’s vengeance killing of 77-fold with

[8] Daniel M. Doriani, “Matthew,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 279.

[9] Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 473.

[10] https://www.usdebtclock.org/

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