No. 03. “Owing Jesus?”
Bothwell 143’rd Anniversary
September 14, 2008
Series: “Jesus Wants Me to Do What?”
Message -– “Owing Jesus?”
Matthew 18:21-35
IIntroduction
An Anniversary Service is a Celebration. This past week that word “celebrate” was used during a Bible study at Youth Group. We were told that it was a good substitute for the Bible’s word “rejoice.” So we have come to “rejoice” or celebrate today. We are also pleased and thankful today that we could have some of our WABY friends from Leamington to help us to do that along with our own musicians.
But what are we celebrating? Does it only mean that we have survived for another year? It is true that each time we are able to have a service like this, that this Church organization is at least one year older, but isn’t it more than that?
I want to suggest today that we can celebrate with a spirit of thanksgiving as we remember God’s goodness and faithfulness. The most obvious things that we can give thanks to God for might centre around some of the events and programs that have taken place.
But I hope that we are also able to reflect on some things that may not be as easily measured. How do we measure our own growth in faith? What standard would we use to measure steps we have taken over this past year to become closer to Jesus, in our own decision-making perhaps? Do we choose “wisely” or “poorly?” How do we measure what so many of the children from the community have experienced as they have come through these doors to take part in the many activities? How do we measure the results as you have gone out from this building to be involved in the lives of family members or neighbours? These are just a few of the unseen blessings that we can celebrate today.
Perhaps the last thing that I need to address is the question that I hope some of you were asking as the Bible reading was read this morning. If this is a Celebration, or a Birthday party for our Church, then why did pick such an inappropriate Scripture reading this morning? Couldn’t we at least have had one of the Psalms that talks about dancing or one of those stories of Jesus at a dinner party, or as a last resort John’s story of the time Jesus showed up to a wedding? There is no mention of streamers or cake or parties in these verses; and another thing, why the title, “Owing Jesus?” After all, the Bible says our relationship with him is a free gift. Our favorite Bible verse from John 3:16 begins, “God so loved the world that the gave…” So many questions: so little time.
Jesus Story of Forgiveness
Well, let’s take a look at this story of forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35 and see if there is something here that we can celebrate. To begin with, we need to admit that Peter was trying to, oh how should we put it, get “brownie” points with Jesus. Can you hear him?
“Oh Master Jesus, how often should I forgive Andrew for taking my last ‘twinkie’?” (And Jesus, I’ll show what a great sport I am by answering my own question. And I’ll show you and every one around us WHO IS IN HEARING DISTANCE what a great guy I am!)
“Seven times, Jesus!” (Wow, am I a captain of forgiveness, or what?)
But instead, Jesus looked around, and it was as if he had just been listening to Canadian country music singer, Shania Twain. He basically says to Peter, “That don’t impress me much.”
It also appears that the hall they were meeting in was not latex free, or perhaps they were outside, because Jesus then reached out and stuck a big pin into Peter’s ego-filled balloon. Bam!
Jesus continued: “Not seven times Peter, but an unheard of over-the-top seventy times! Now how’s that for taking the wind out of your sails, you conceited fisherman fellow?”
And then Jesus starts to tell a story. At this point the crowd probably pushed in to hear him and maybe some of the disciples tried to duck out because they know what’s coming. “Oh, oh, the Boss is going to tell another one of his stories, and we are going to be the “punch line””
Matthew 18:23-35 - The Message
23"The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. 24As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. 25He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.
26"The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' 27Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.
28"The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, 'Pay up. Now!'
29"The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' 30But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. 31When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.
32"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. 33Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' 34The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. 35And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy."
A Question
Let me ask a question: Who is it that Jesus is hardest on in the Bible? It is always the religious ones who try to pretend that they are better than others. Jesus is never hard on those who are truly sorry and ask for his help. Never!
Do we owe Jesus? Do we owe him for all of the forgiveness we have received? And another question, did you notice that Jesus doesn’t really ask us to forget the wrongs done to us, but he does ask us to forgive those who do them to us?
Forgive and Forget?
There is a saying that circulates around us that basically says “forgive and forget.” I am not aware of any location in the Bible where we are told to do that. I am ready to be corrected on that. We just can’t forget. That’s the way we are made. So many things are too deeply engraved on the hard drives of our mind. And I believe that God knows that. But he does ask us to forgive. The only one who forgets is God. It says in the Bible that once God forgives us our sins he does forget. If we truly continue to confess our sins to him and ask him to forgive us, we are then able to come to him with a “clean slate.” It is as if we have been fully pardoned.
Instead we often say, “Oh Jesus, I am sorry to be here again about this but I’ve done—again.”
And he says, “Oh, I’d forgotten, you must be mistaken, I think this is the first time you’ve mentioned this to me.”
There is a wonderful verse in the old Testament Book of Psalms. In Psalm 103:12 we read, 12as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
The Greatness of God’s Mercy
Psalm 103:11-14 – The Message
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
12 And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
13 As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
14 He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
God loves us and forgives us anyway. It is as though the author, King David, is looking to the future for this all happened when Jesus died on the cross.
Donald Williams and Lloyd J. Ogilvie note in their Commentary on the Psalms: It is God’s vast mercy, beyond all physical dimensions, that has taken away our sins. God looks at our frailty, our weaknesses, our struggles, and He has pity on us. In the Incarnation, God takes the next step. He becomes one with us and shares in our humanity.[1] This is because, as Leslie Allen notes, “The separation means that the sinner is absolutely safe from sin’s consequences.” [2] It is as if God has totally forgotten that we have ever sinned.
So What do we Owe Jesus?
So what do we owe Jesus? Thanksgiving is the first thing that comes to my mind. Paul includes words of Thanksgiving for what Jesus has done for us at the beginning of his letter to the Church in Ephesus.
Ephesians 1:3-10 – The Message
3–6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
7–10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.[3]
And did you notice that he also uses the same word we spoke of earlier—celebration.
Conclusions
If we are Thankful, we will try to live out his teachings.
So, when you take a tally of your life, and of our church, what are you most thankful for? Because this “church” as an institution that is made up of us, its body, this anniversary that we are celebrating today is really about us and our relation to Jesus, in the past, the present and the future. As such, we do have much to celebrate. And the best part of it is the Forgiveness provided by Jesus; the ongoing presence of the Spirit of God; the two promises we looked at last Sunday that remind us that we are not alone and that God does hear and answer our prayers; and finally, the relationships that we can share here with one another.
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[1]Donald Williams and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, vol. 14, The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 14 : Psalms 73-150, Formerly The Communicator's Commentary, The Preacher's Commentary series (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1989), 229.
[2]Leslie C. Allen, vol. 21, Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 101-150 (Revised), Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 32.
[3]Eugene H. Peterson, The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 2002), Eph 1:3-10.