Matthew 5:23-25
“23 “Therefore,
if you are offering your gift at the altar
and there remember that your brother or
sister has something against you, 24 leave
your gift there in front of the altar. First
go and be reconciled to them; then come and
offer your gift. 25 “Settle
matters quickly with your adversary who is
taking you to court. Do it while you are
still together on the way, or your adversary
may hand you over to the judge…”
Jesus teaches us here just how important
reconciliation is to God. If your brother or
sister (Or cousin, or distant relative, or
some guy down the street) has something
against you, immediately go and make things
right. Stop whatever you’re doing, whether
you’re at the grocery store, at work, at
church in the middle of worship or even at
the temple with an offering – go and
reconcile to them – then come back and
finish what you were doing. Reconciliation
is important to God and it needs to be taken
care of now, not later.
Settle matters
quickly with your adversary. Most people
would assume this applies to civil matters,
such as being sued – and it does, but I also
see a deeper spiritual significance to it.
If you have a matter that needs to be
settled, handle it now in this life or it
may be handed over to God, the ultimate
judge. In the end God will settle all
unsettled disputes. He will handle all
unfinished business – but it’s best to
handle it now and not let it get that far.
In addition to reconciliation,
forgiveness is important to God.
At a
time when we owed an immeasurably massive
debt, God forgave us and paid the debt
Himself.
At a time when sin was a millstone
chained around our neck dragging us to our
death, God set us free and carried our
burden – He plunged into the death we
rightfully deserved.
God took extreme
measures to rectify our extreme sin. We were
guilty of so much – an unfathomable debt
that we would never have been able to pay –
yet God covered it all in His blood so that
we could be forgiven. We are that important
to Him, just as forgiveness is that
important to Him. As we have been forgiven,
we are required to forgive. Jesus teaches us
the importance of forgiveness in a parable.
Matthew 18:23-35
23 Therefore
the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king
who wanted to settle accounts with his
servants. 24 And when he had
begun to settle accounts, one was brought to
him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But
as he was not able to pay, his master
commanded that he be sold, with his wife and
children and all that he had, and that
payment be made. 26 The servant
therefore fell down before him, saying,
‘Master, have patience with me, and I will
pay you all.’ 27 Then the master
of that servant was moved with compassion,
released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But
that servant went out and found one of his
fellow servants who owed him a hundred
denarii; and he laid hands on him and
took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what
you owe!’ 29 So his fellow
servant fell down at his feet and begged
him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I
will pay you all.’ 30 And he
would not, but went and threw him into
prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So
when his fellow servants saw what had been
done, they were very grieved, and came and
told their master all that had been done. 32 Then
his master, after he had called him, said to
him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all
that debt because you begged me. 33 Should
you not also have had compassion on your
fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And
his master was angry, and delivered him to
the torturers until he should pay all that
was due to him.
35 “So
My heavenly Father also will do to you if
each of you, from his heart, does not
forgive his brother his trespasses.”
Imagine that you owe a king over a
million dollars and you have absolutely no
way to pay the debt but out of compassion
this king completely forgives you and says
that you no longer owe him. Now you go out
and find a neighbor who borrowed ten dollars
from you many years ago and you demand that
they pay up or you’ll have them thrown in
prison.
You have been forgiven of so much
yet you hold such a small amount against
someone who owes you. Jesus says that when
you refuse to forgive you are like this
person who demands repayment of a petty debt
even though you yourself have been forgiven
of a massive debt – and when the King finds
out, you will be thrown into prison and held
accountable for every cent of the original
amount you owed.
What a terrifying
thought! If we don’t forgive, Jesus makes it
clear that God will not forgive us.
Peter
asks Jesus an excellent question concerning
forgiveness.
Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then
Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often
shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus
said to him, “I do not say to you, up to
seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
When someone hurts us; When someone
wrongs us; When someone sins against us –
How many times should we forgive them? Seven
times? No! Jesus says seventy times seven!
What Jesus was getting at was don’t keep
track! As often as you are wronged, forgive!
As many times as someone sins against you,
forgive! Don’t keep track, don’t keep score,
don’t keep record – just forgive!
And
finally Jesus says it plainly.
Matthew 6:14
14 “For
if you forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But
if you do not forgive men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.
Forgive freely. Forgive openly. Forgive
constantly.
Because to refuse to forgive
is to cast yourself into hell.