Just as I had on you [Matt 18b]

Just as I had on you

Matthew 18:15-35*

Key verse 18:33““Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'”

Introduction:

Have you been wronged by one of your friends? What did you do to him at that time?

In  last week’s passage, we came to know how to relate to others. It must be out of a shepherd’s heart, humbly welcoming and serving, even the little ones. Today’s passage is about what we are to do when someone wrongs  us, particularly one of our fellow  believers. Since we all are called by God, we are brothers and sisters. We will see each other today,  tomorrow,  next year, and 10 years later….even in the kingdom of heaven. Also, we serve one King, God, and in this context we have to understand today’s passage.

The passage will be divided into two parts: first, how to handle the wrongs of others within the believing community, and secondly, a parable which illustrates the heart of God in handling  wrongs done by our brother.  

In these two paragraphs, Jesus teaches us that forgiveness is the way of life among believers, so that God’s truth and  holiness may dwell among believers.

I.                    Forgive seventy-seven times [15-21]

A.      Sin must be handled in love and truth among believers [15-17]

Matthew 18:15 - "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over”.

In this regard, what we do today to the brother or sister who has wronged  me is so important.

What you do or what you don’t do will greatly affect him. Who else will be affected by the wrongs of one of your brothers? If you go after him with anger, bitterness, and rage, then what will be the outcome of such actions on him?

If he sinned against you,  the first thing you should do is to talk to him personally, just between the two of you; no one should be involved other than you and the other person. In this way, all presumptions and false pretenses won’t disturb honest and sincere communication. Facts are fully out and discussed in honesty and truth.

In this way, you do not expose his sins or weaknesses, but resolve the issue as quickly as possible without involving others; his privacy, integrity, and  godliness are protected and supported.

What shouldn’t  be the goal of this encounter between you and the person? It should not be a time to score your points,  take advantage of the other person, or  oppress them for your benefit or to avenge  wrongs done to you. The goal is to win your brother over, not only for your sake, but also for God and His truth.

“But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'”

If the person is not willing to listen to you in this private setting, the next step is to bring someone along with you to talk to him. Here two or three people are good. The primary goal of doing this is that every matter may be established as  truth by these witnesses. This is to help the wrongdoer see the objective truth about the wrong he has committed. What you present is not a biased opinion or selfish motive but it is presenting the truth in love.  We all have a hard time  accepting  wrongs against ourselves. Often we fail to see the plank in our own eyes.  So these witnesses are important to reveal all the facts in truth.

How difficult it is to face the facts  where one’s own evil and ungodly things are fully exposed! 

But unless we face these facts, we never have a chance to correct or learn the truth about life. It is first found in and among the eyes of our fellow brothers and sisters. They are in the best position to see God’s truth. It is better  this way, because, if this is found out  when we first meet God face to face, it will be a terrible thing. It will then be too late and the cost so heavy. It is better to face it now when we can do something about it!

Likewise, we must help our brother to see the truth in his life. This is important in our individual lives as well as in our church. We are all scared to face the facts which might reveal our mistakes,  sins,  evil intentions, and hidden motives,  but it is better to face it now.

“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector”.

If the person listens to these few brothers, it is good, but more often than not, he may not be willing. Then the third step is to tell the church, which here is a believing community. This whole community of God’s people will then pray for the person in love and truth. It could be just 3,  100, or even 1000’s. The whole community must know about the wrongs and understand that the wrongs must be rectified. Sin is not just a private matter; it spoils the whole community, God’s community. God wants His ‘kingdom’ kept pure and holy, even on the earth. Toward this goal, the community will pray and show their love in kindness and truth. This is to help the wrongdoer face God in His truth and  power. Again all these must be geared towards winning him over to God in His truth.

If he still refuses to listen to the church, what should be done?

Jesus says that we are to treat him like a pagan or a tax collector. What does it mean to treat him like a pagan? Does it mean to hate him,  ignore him, or  be indifferent to whatever he does? Quite possibly! Again, the focus is to keep God’s people from sin and its influences. Sin bears its outcome. God’s people and sin shall not coexist. This will be shown through actions.
What the wrongdoer is doing is labeled ‘ungodly’, like a pagan!  Don’t follow him! Do not entertain his life or  way of thinking! You must show disdain and contempt for the sin he lives in. The most important thing is that the sin he is committing must not come into your life or the lives of any other brothers  within the community. Purging the sin and keeping the whole community holy and acceptable to God is the key. In this way, the godly community will reflect who God is and the world may know that God is among them! By showing such rejection, God’s disdain towards sin is shown through the brothers in Christ. I believe that even this rejection is also part of love!

In this process, two things must be the driving force:  love and the truth of God.

“It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth”. 1 Cor. 13:6

Remember that God is eager to bring the wrongdoer back again.

B.       God vested His truth on  believers, collectively and corporately [18-19].

"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”.

So far we have discussed three processes for the handling of the sins of a brother. Included in these processes, there is the clear-cut rejection of unrepentant person in sin and acceptance of the repentant brother. This  is described here as binding and loosing. This is carried out by one,  then two or three, and then the whole community of believers.  God’s truth is the sole possession of Him and His Son Jesus. We do not possess the truth, but God entrusted His truth to those whom He chose in Jesus. They are the ones who confessed Jesus as  Lord and Savior. Their mind is on the will of God and His commands.
As we noted in this process, the truth can be in one person who first notices the sins of his brother; it can also be in two or three people who agree on God’s truth. Thirdly, it can be witnessed among the whole community of God’s people. God vested His truth to each of us, His children, but we are not perfect and the perfection or fullness of the truth is in and among believers, collectively and corporately.  So it is binding on the earth what will also be bound in heaven. When ‘church’ is referred to here, it does not mean the hierarchical leadership of the church; it means a group of believers. Here ‘you’ is plural; Jesus was talking to his disciples. So it is a group of people who believe Jesus. This is clear as we look at  verses 19 and 20. As a group of godly people, collectively and corporately, we are holders of God’s truth. We have a duty to keep it as He has given it and to teach and preach as He has given it. In this way, God vested His truth on  believers.

So three things we can conclude: 1) Sin must be purged in and among God’s children so as to keep the godly community pure and acceptable to God; b)  God vested His truth among  believers; and c) the goal is to win the wrongdoer back to God and His people.  

In this process, how can we be sure if God’s truth is among us? Who exactly are those that can make such decisions?

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

The theme of v19 is repeated in v20, only in a different format. It is to help emphasize the meaning and make it clear.

In order to understand this passage well, I would like to define each word first.:

Who is the ‘you’ referred to here?

1.      They are Jesus’ disciples, who believed he was the Lord and  Savior. This is well illustrated in v20 as the ‘two or three in my name’; in other words, ‘you’ means those who have accepted Jesus and are committed to him and his will.

2.      They are also the ones who are asking of God the Father and seeking Him and His will.

3.      They recognized and accepted that Jesus was the Son of God the Father.

When believers get together and agree on something, God will hear them because Jesus is with them.

This is how God let His truth dwell among His people: one man is imperfect and unable to hold the truth without blemish; but God makes it possible through a group of at least two or three people. Jesus will confirm their position by being with them. Here ‘agree’ and ‘pray or ask!’ are the actions that make God’s truth living and active among His people.

What should be the focus of this truth and these activities in truth? There are two:

C.      Pray in Jesus’ name [20-21]

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

Here it says that where two or three come together in Jesus’ name, he is with them. This is an amazing promise. What does it mean that we come together in Jesus’ name? Believers are together, collectively and corporately, for they are agreeing with each other in Jesus’ name for the purpose of God’s will.

Here I would like to explore this in three ways: first, praying in other ways; second, biblical references on prayer; and third, the true meaning of ‘in Jesus’ name’

.

i.                        Praying in other ways

a)      ““We respectfully submit this humble prayer in the name that's above all other names, Jesus, the Christ. Let all who agree say, 'Amen'" Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell [Bush’s inauguration].

b)      ““I humbly ask in the name of the one who changed my life, Jesus…who told us to pray; the Lord’s Prayer”” [Rick warren prayed for President Obama’s presidential inauguration].

These are two examples of praying in Jesus’ name in public. However, instances like this became an issue when the unbelievers didn’t like to hear someone praying in Jesus’ name in public, such as at commencement ceremonies or inaugurations. So, at many occasions, praying in Jesus’ name is forbidden. This was extended even to clubs and schools where everyone is a Christian, so someone  brought up reasons not to pray in Jesus’ name. One of the leading reasons was not to offend the unbelievers. These are human friends, working side by side daily, so they would not want to offend their feelings. Quite a few believers chose not to pray in Jesus’ name. As a result, many different forms of prayer sprang up: praying in his name, praying in God’s name, praying to my Savior, praying in “your name”, and praying in the name of the one who was born and lived in Nazareth.

      ii.            Biblical references about the necessity of Jesus’ name in prayer

Some references made to                           are listed below:

1.      John 16:23-24 “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete”.

2.      Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

3.      Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”.

4.      2 Thessalonians 3:6 “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us”.

5.      Acts 3:6 “Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

6.      1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"

7.      Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”.

To pray in Jesus’ name is to come before God's throne of grace, not in our own merit or authority, but in the merit and authority of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 3:6; Acts 3:6). We have no right to approach God’s throne of grace in our sinfulness, but, in the righteousness of Jesus, we can be bold when we come before God in prayer.  Jesus is depicted as the mediator of our prayer (1 John 2:1; Hebrews 4:15-16).

Further examples of these truths are found in the Westminster catechisms:  

Question 180: What is it to pray in the name of Christ?
Answer: To pray in the name of Christ is, in obedience to his command, and in confidence in his promises, to ask mercy for his sake; not by barely mentioning  his name, but by drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Christ and his mediation.

Question 181: Why are we to pray in the name of Christ?

Answer: The sinfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we can have no access into his presence without a mediator; and there being none in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for, that glorious work but Christ alone, we are to pray in no other name but his only.

    iii.            True significance of the phrase ‘in Jesus’ name’

When we mention the name of Jesus, it is about the historical Jesus and his work,  word and  identity as  Lord and Savior. Though Jesus, the Son of God, existed from eternity to eternity, particular reference is made to the earthly Jesus.  Jesus’ name does not just serve as a title but also represents who he is, what he has done, and what truth he embodies. All inclusively, we are accepted in Jesus’ name. It is the Jesus who lived, died on the cross, and was resurrected. So this must be the Name JESUS, which refers to the particular personhood who lived on earth and lived a life of mediation to God on our behalf. Jesus’ truth and his will are in line with God’s will and purpose. It should not be my purpose and my will; it is only for God and His Son. Jesus will be with us in power, revelation and truth. He backs us up in what we decide to do, regarding our handling of God’s work.

Given the before-mentioned societal pressures that we should not pray in Jesus’ name and the examples of institutions that escape this pressure, what does the Bible say about someone who is ashamed of Jesus’ name?

•      Mark 8:38 “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels".

•      2 Timothy 1:12 “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed”.

II.                  Unless you forgive your brother from your heart [23-35]

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "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”.

Peter came to realize that all these things hinged on one thing: forgiveness! Unless we forgive the wrongdoer fully and embrace them in love, we are not united as believers! We are not living as one body; we are not acting collectively and corporately, as the holders of God’s truth.

So what is needed? Jesus said you have to forgive someone seventy times seven.

It seemed that Peter seemed to have a hard time  accepting what Jesus said about forgiveness. Jews practice repentance and forgiveness during the Yum Kippur festival. This is to celebrate the forgiveness of sin; during this time, they are to forgive and  to ask for  forgiveness. When one sins against a person, he can go to him personally and ask for forgiveness. At this time, he must also  swear that he will not commit such a sin again. If at first, the person is unwilling to forgive, then the one needing forgiveness has to come to him again up to three times.  

In this manner, repentance and forgiveness is well practiced.

Unlike  this practice, Jesus demanded his disciples to forgive  unlimited times. How can one forgive someone so many times? Practically, reasonably, and emotionally, it is impossible to forgive so many times, but this is what Jesus is asking his disciples to do.  In Peter’s mind, why wasthis so difficult to do? In Jesus’ teaching, why should we  forgive so many times? These two questions are answered in the next parable.

"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants”.

This story is about a kingdom, in which  there was a king and two  subjects, or servants. Most likely, one had a higher position than the other. This parable is also about settling accounts among the king and his subjects, as well as among the subjects themselves. It concerns  who owes whom and how much has to be paid.  

“As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him”.

The king began  settlement with one of  his servants, who owed the king 10,000 talents.

One talent is worth 6000 denarii; one denarius is one day’s wages of an average man. If we put this into practical terms, 10,000 talents equals60,000,000 day wage. We work 300 days a year roughly, excluding Sundays and holidays; if we work for 10 years, that would  be 3,000 days. 60 million days’ wages would be about 200,000 years. In order to pay back the money he owed, this man would have to work 200,000 years, which is equal to almost eternity compared with his life!  How could he pay back  the whole amount that he owed the king? His life was at stake.

“Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt”.

Practically speaking, it was impossible for this man to pay  that amount back to the king. Both he and the king knew  he could not pay his debt , so the king ordered him to sell all his and his family’s possessions, as well as his wife and children. Even after selling all their possessions, he could not pay back the whole amount that he owed. What would happen to his life? There would be no meaning,  no purpose,  no freedom, and no joy! Life in slavery! Living as a debtor was living a life in obligation. Regardless of your will, desire, or happiness, you had to do what you were supposed to do or what you were told to do! Have you ever had an occasion when you could not pay back money that you borrowed? I have had many such occasions. The worst thing that I experienced was when I was in middle school and high school. My family did not have money to pay my tuition on time, and my homeroom teacher called my name and told me to come see him in his office.  I was so ashamed and embarrassed. You are obligated to do something, but you cannot meet that debt! So what did this man do?

"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'”

The only thing that this man could do was beg for mercy! When you beg for mercy, what is the most important thing? Humbleness? Buying sympathy and pity? Let him know how much you are in need!  You cannot fake this. 

This man was aware of his pitiful situation and begged the king for his mercy .

“The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go”.

The king took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him  go free. His whole life was at stake; not only his life, but also  the lives of his family were freed. No burden! No debt! In his joy and freedom, what did this man do?

"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded”.

He met a fellow servant who owed him a hundred denarii - three months’ wages; if a month’s wages was $3000 then this was about $9000. This was a substantial amount of money.  He grabbed the other man and choked him as if he was about to take his breath away. Though his fellow man begged him, he put his fellow in jail until he could pay the debt.

What was going on in this man’s  mind? To him, this is perfectly right according to the law. Since his fellow man owed him so much, he had the right to put him in jail until he paid it back fully. He had every right to impose the law on his fellow . There is nothing wrong with this!

“When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened”.

You know that, when we live in a kingdom, nothing can get by without being noticed by the king; the king knows everything that  goes on his country. So what this man did was also heard by the king, and  the king called him in again and said this:

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'”

1.      The King reigns over the kingdom, and is the supreme authority.  The servant’s sole purpose is to serve the king,  and, by doing so, he made his living.

2.      The king expected his servant to do the same thing that he did for him. As the king had forgiven all his debts, so he must show mercy to his fellow servants, who are the king’s servants after all.

3.      What the king did was according to the basic rules of life in this kingdom.

4.      The king canceled the debt worth 10,000 talents. He wanted such grace and mercy for the canceling of debts to be the norm in his kingdom.

5.      The debt that the king canceled was the biggest debt that any men ever owed. In other words, what the king did, canceling the largest debt ever, must be the principle and foundation of all people living in his kingdom.

6.      The law and justice was  the rule of life, but since the king had canceled the debt, mercy was to be the commanding principle of life in his kingdom, instead of the law and rights.

“In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed”.

If one does not abide by the king’s will and intentions, or if one ignores the king’s mercy, then the king will demand full payment of the debt. When there is no forgiveness, what will be the result?  The law and its justice are put into action. We have to pay  for what we do and have done. The problem is that we all are sinners! No one is free from sin and we all owe  God our lives. The law and justice is fully seen in the cross; there, people, in  their rage and anger, shouted: “crucify him, crucify him”. When Jesus was  on the cross, they taunted him: “if you are the king,  come down; he saved others, but he cannot save himself”. How can we pay back the sin that we committed? Likewise,  the servant had no chance of getting out of prison until he had paid what he owed.

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

God sent His Son Jesus to forgive all the debts that we owe to Him. We have all sinned against God, and the cost is our lives. We have to pay the debts of that sin with our lives; simply put, we must die to pay fully for our sins. But God sent His Son Jesus to pay for the sins that we have committed against God. Jesus paid for all our sins by his own life. God did this so that His grace may rule  in his kingdom, among His people.

The grace and power of canceling the debt of 10,000 talents is the commanding principle of life in and among God’s people.

•      Sin is still among us though we believed in Jesus and are forgiven in him.

•      If not, the law and personal justice is the rule of life; there is no ending, because we are all sinners.

•      Forgiveness must be the commanding principle of life among believers

•      In and among us, forgiveness is the way to purify  and unite us in love.

•      Through forgiveness, God’s truth and holiness remains with us.  

•      Forgiveness is possible because of the grace that God has shown through His Son Jesus to each of us. This is the foundation and source of all our forgiveness for others.