Dear Friends in Christ,<\/p>\n
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I. Kingdom of Patience or Kingdom of Mercy?
\nPeter gets the kingdom of heaven wrong. But this is a good thing for us, because we usually get it wrong, too, and today we get to hear Jesus\u2019 wonderful response.
\nPeter asks Jesus, \u201cLord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?\u201d Peter may feel he\u2019s being exceptionally generous with the offer, given the way the world works. Fool me once, your fault. Fool me twice, my fault. Mess with me a third time, and I\u2019m blocking your phone calls and emails. That\u2019s how the world works; yet Peter generously makes the offer of forgiving the offender not just twice, but seven times. And perhaps this is how Peter gets the kingdom of heaven wrong: perhaps he thinks that the kingdom of heaven is like life in this world, but just a more lenient one where you get a few extra chances to do the right thing before the shoe falls.<\/p>\n
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Jesus is quick to correct Peter\u2019s line of thought, saying, \u201cI do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.\u201d Then he tells what is often known as \u201cThe Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.\u201d A servant owns a king a vast amount of money, more than an average Joe could ever repay. The king has the right to sell him and his family into slavery in order to recoup some of the money; but instead, he chooses to be merciful. He forgives the debt and sends the servant on his way. The servant, however, is quick to track down another who owes him a relative pittance; and when the man is unable to pay right away, the unmerciful servant throws his colleague into prison until the debt is paid. Rather than forgive a little since he has been forgiven so much, the unmerciful servant elects to punish the man severely.<\/p>\n
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There\u2019s some obvious Law in the parable: since God has forgiven you for so much, you ought to be able to forgive others for their comparatively little sins against you. As Jesus concludes the parable, \u201cSo also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.\u201d That\u2019s enough Law to accuse us all, for it is easy for each of us to bear grudges and fail to forgive over even trivial things.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019d like to push things a little bit further and deeper, though. Remember, Peter has got a wrong idea of how the kingdom of heaven works. If you take a look at the servants in the parable, they have a wrong idea of how it works, too.<\/p>\n
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When the servant is brought before the king, he\u2019s doomed. There\u2019s no way he\u2019s able to pay off the gigantic debt that he owes. But when he falls on his knees, what does he ask from the king? He doesn\u2019t ask for mercy, nor does he ask for forgiveness. He asks for patience: \u201cHave patience with me, and I will pay you everything.\u201d This is desperation talking. It\u2019s a frantic bid to postpone the judgment that is coming. He\u2019s saying, \u201cDon\u2019t punish me now. Give me more time, and maybe I can figure out a way to get this paid off. Give me a chance to figure out how I\u2019ll work to get this taken care of.\u201d This is important: the servant isn\u2019t asking the king for mercy. He\u2019s asking for more time to save himself by his wits, his labor, his filing chapter 11, whatever. He\u2019s trying to deliver himself by his own works. This also means that he doubts the king will be merciful\u2014he doesn\u2019t think the king will let him off the hook. <\/p>\n
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The king isn\u2019t dealing in patience: he\u2019s operating by mercy and forgiveness. He knows that there\u2019s no way the wretch before him can ever pay off ten thousand talents, and there\u2019s no use pretending or supporting the man\u2019s delusion. We\u2019re relieved that the king doesn\u2019t just cut the man off and say, \u201cI\u2019m selling you off now.\u201d But we should also be relieved that the king doesn\u2019t say, \u201cAll right, I\u2019ll let you go this time in a completely hopeless attempt to make up for your debt.\u201d That would be patience, but the man doesn\u2019t need patience. He needs mercy. He needs forgiveness. That\u2019s what the king does. He forgives the man. He says, \u201cI\u2019m forgiving the debt. I\u2019m absorbing the cost. You don\u2019t owe me anything anymore. You\u2019re an upstanding citizen in my kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Now, as an upstanding citizen of the king, the servant should promote the policies of his king. He should represent his ruler well and reflect his agenda. But when confronted with another servant who owes him money, he doesn\u2019t forgive the lousy little debt. His own private kingdom doesn\u2019t work that way. The servant isn\u2019t merciful, and he throws the man in prison. The servant isn\u2019t even patient: it\u2019s \u201cPay up now, or you\u2019re going to jail until you do.\u201d When the king hears of it, he has the man thrown into jail, but note: he doesn\u2019t condemn the servant for being impatient, for not giving his colleague a fair shot. He condemns him for being unmerciful, for not forgiving the debt. This is a kingdom of mercy, not a kingdom of mere patience.<\/p>\n
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This is what Jesus is also teaching Peter: Jesus\u2019 kingdom is not a kingdom of mere patience, but a kingdom of mercy and forgiveness. Peter thinks that he\u2019s representing Jesus well by patiently forgiving more times before he cuts off the sinner, by saying, \u201cI\u2019ll give you extra chances to make things right.\u201d If that is what Peter thinks, then he thinks that Jesus operates the same way\u2014that Jesus gives sinners a certain number of absolutions before He cuts them off. But that isn\u2019t how Jesus\u2019 kingdom operates: His is a kingdom of unending mercy and grace. He doesn\u2019t say, \u201cYour first thousand sins are on Me, but after that they count against you!\u201d Instead, as He teaches Peter, He\u2019s on His way to the cross to die for the sins of the world\u2014all the sins of all the world. <\/p>\n
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2. Citizens of a Merciful King
\nSo what does this mean for you and me? By nature, we think a lot like Peter.
\nFirst off, we get sin wrong. We think that the sins of thought and word and deed that we commit, and the sins that people commit against us, are the big problem. They\u2019re a problem, sure: in fact, they\u2019re enough to condemn you for eternity. But we have a bigger problem than these actual sins, and that\u2019s original sin. Briefly put, we\u2019re not sinful because we do these things. Rather, we do these things because we are sinful. <\/p>\n
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Does it matter? Absolutely. If we\u2019re sinful because we do sinful things, then we can become sinless by stopping these sins. In that case, we\u2019re going to act like Peter and the servant in the parable. We\u2019re going to say, \u201cLord, be patient with me. Give me some more time, and I\u2019ll clean up my act enough for You to love me.\u201d If that is true (a big and erroneous \u201cif\u201d), then the message of Christianity will be, \u201cGet going and fix things up while God is still patient, because sooner or later He\u2019ll call you to account.\u201d And if that\u2019s the message of Christianity\u2014that you fix yourself, do you still need Jesus to die for you? Not at all. It\u2019s about you making yourself better while you still have time. Is this a threat to Christianity today? Absolutely: why else would so many sermons today focus on how to make your life better, rather than on the forgiveness of sins?<\/p>\n
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Thus we need to repent of our errors and hold fast to our doctrine of sin. It is not that we\u2019re sinful because we do sinful things. Rather, we do sinful things because we are sinful. The sins that we commit are like symptoms of a virus\u2014a problem, sure, but not the real problem. The problem is our original sin, the truth that we\u2019re conceived and born in sin, cut off from God and His righteousness. You can medicate and squelch the symptoms of a virus, but you\u2019re still sick. Likewise, you can cut back on your actual sins, but you\u2019re still sinful.<\/p>\n
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If we get sin wrong, though, the dominos will fall. We\u2019ll get forgiveness wrong, too. If we think that Christianity is all about making ourselves better, then we want God to grant us patience, not mercy. We\u2019ll think forgiveness is a loan to buy us time to improve, not a cancellation of the debt. This is a great offense to God: He didn\u2019t give His only Son to die to buy you time, to give you a few more shots against sin. He gave His Son to die to defeat sin and death, once for all. <\/p>\n
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Let\u2019s push a step further: how will this affect our treatment of others\u2014of those who sin against us? If we think that forgiveness is a loan to buy us time, we\u2019ll treat others the same way. When we say, \u201cI forgive you,\u201d it won\u2019t mean, \u201cI don\u2019t hold this sin against you.\u201d It will mean, \u201cI\u2019m going to let it go this time, so you\u2019d better do the work of shaping up.\u201d This was Peter\u2019s problem: \u201cLord, how many times do I have to be patient and give my brother another chance?\u201d Jesus\u2019 answer was, \u201cThis isn\u2019t about patience. It\u2019s about mercy. Patience counts offenses, and patience has an end. Mercy forgives offenses, and mercy doesn\u2019t expire.\u201d <\/p>\n
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It\u2019s true enough, since we have been forgiven so much, that we should readily forgive others. That is Law from this text that ought to pierce each heart and move us quickly to repent. But don\u2019t miss the deeper problem: do we fail to forgive as we should because we misunderstand the Lord\u2019s forgiveness? Do we believe that He is truly merciful, or only patient? Do we see His forgiveness as a complete pardon, or only as probation and time to do better? If it is the latter, then repent: for you have accused the Lord of being far less merciful and gracious than He is. <\/p>\n
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Repent, and rejoice\u2014because the Lord is merciful to you. When gathered here in the name of God, we do not sing, \u201cLord, have patience upon us,\u201d but \u201cLord have mercy upon us.\u201d We confess the joyful news that Jesus comes with grace\u2014not to say, \u201cI\u2019m giving you another chance before the hammer falls,\u201d but \u201cI will remember your sins no more.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Lord\u2019s message in Baptism was not, \u201cHere\u2019s a jump-start to get you going. And if you prove your worth and don\u2019t mess up too badly, I\u2019ll keep you around.\u201d Instead, He joined you to His death and resurrection. He forgave your sins and gave you life. He brought you into His family and said, \u201cYou are My child, and I will be patient with you; but know that you are Mine because I have already been merciful and gracious to you.\u201d <\/p>\n
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In Holy Absolution, the servant of the Word does not say, \u201cThe Lord is going to let it go this time, assuming that you clean up your act.\u201d Through the pastor, Jesus says to you, \u201cI forgive you all of your sins.\u201d Thus He sets you free from sin to do good. Not because you\u2019re paying off a debt before His patience runs out\u2014the debt is already paid! He sets you free to be merciful to others, as He has had mercy upon you. <\/p>\n
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Likewise, the Lord\u2019s Supper here is not to patch you up and buy you time on earth, but to give you forgiveness and eternal life. Here, the Lord gives you His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. The debt is paid and you are free. <\/p>\n
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Is the Lord patient? Yes: thankfully, yes. The Bible reminds us that He patiently waits for people to repent. But more than His patience, we rejoice in His mercy. If He were only patient, He would say, \u201cI\u2019m going to give you another shot before I count your sins against you.\u201d His message to you is far better than that, for His message is one of mercy and grace, which says, \u201cI remember your sins no more.\u201d <\/p>\n
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Soon in this service we will joyfully confess, \u201cO give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.\u201d And because His mercy endures forever, He says to you for Jesus\u2019 sake, \u201cI forgive you for all of your sins.\u201d In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Friends in Christ, I. Kingdom of Patience or Kingdom of Mercy? Peter gets the kingdom of heaven wrong. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[176],"wpfc_sermon_series":[],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-pastor-j-fritsche","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3905","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry"],"sermon_audio":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sermons\/2023\/09\/Sunday-September-17-2023-Redeemer-Sermon.mp3","sermon_audio_duration":"","_views":"45","bible_passage":"\u201cTherefore, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.\u201d (Matthew 18:23)","sermon_video_embed":"","sermon_video_url":"","sermon_bulletin":"","_featured_url":false,"sermon_date":1694952000,"_sermon_date_auto":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/wpfc_sermon\/3905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/wpfc_sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/wpfc_sermon"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3905"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/wpfc_sermon\/3905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3929,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/wpfc_sermon\/3905\/revisions\/3929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"wpfc_preacher","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwpfc_preacher&post=3905"},{"taxonomy":"wpfc_sermon_series","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwpfc_sermon_series&post=3905"},{"taxonomy":"wpfc_sermon_topics","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwpfc_sermon_topics&post=3905"},{"taxonomy":"wpfc_bible_book","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwpfc_bible_book&post=3905"},{"taxonomy":"wpfc_service_type","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/redeemerlutheranchurch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwpfc_service_type&post=3905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}