Matthew 18:21-35

The Way of Grace: 70 x 7

Ash Wednesday

February 18, 2015

Consider one of the last times somebody, maybe one of your kids or parents or another family member, wronged you in some way—and then came to you to say they were sorry. How did you respond? If you were in a pleasant, tolerant mood did you say something like “Ah, it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it. You probably didn’t mean to do it.” If what they did to you was still stuck in your craw, if you were still angry about it when they said they were sorry, did you respond with words like: “Well, you should be sorry. Don’t ever do it again.” Or, perhaps the well worn phrase, “I’ll forgive you but I don’t want to have anything to do with you again.” I want you to consider how you forgive, or fail to forgive others, those in your family, those who are friends, those with whom you work. How are we tempted to respond with either generic words of “It’s OK” or with angry responses? Is that how we want God to respond to us?

In our Gospel lesson, Peter is just starting to realize who Jesus was and why he had come. Peter may have known that other Jewish rabbis of Jesus’ day were telling their followers to forgive people at least three times. Peter may have thought he was being generous by suggesting seven times for forgiveness. But Jesus tells him not seven times—you could keep track of that. No, seventy times seven. Or in spiritual math, forgive and just keep on forgiving.

Now this does not mean that we purposely seek to be martyrs for the cause. But it does mean that when we are sinned against, we seek to forgive and forgive and forgive again—just as our Lord did for us when He gave his life on the cross. Oh, how Peter must have felt guilty when he denied his Lord three times outside in the high priest’s courtyard. But how relieved and comforted he must have felt when he later remembered that Jesus shed his blood to forgive him even of that denial. Jesus doesn’t just stop by saying 70x7. He emphasizes the importance of forgiveness with the parable of the unforgiving servant.

Did you ever notice in the parable that the first servant never actually asks for forgiveness? He owed a huge amount—10,000 talents, like trillions of dollars, more money than any single individual has ever had in the history of the world. But yet he doesn’t ask to be pardoned or to have the debt reduced or to have it forgiven. No, he says “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” He couldn’t pay it back; it wasn’t possible. He had to be forgiven the debt, released from it entirely. But he doesn’t get it. And this poor sucker that owed him 100 denarii—several thousand dollars—was the first to suffer for it.

One of the ironies of the Christian faith is that so many people don’t get it. So many think that we Christians are just here in church telling each other of all the good things we’ve done and how we’ve pleased God with our faithfulness. But that is not what the Christian faith is about— it’s about forgiveness. That is why we come here together, regularly, faithfully—not to please God with our worship—but to receive forgiveness in Jesus Christ. 

We began tonight with the Litany for Ash Wednesday crying out to God much like the servants in the parable, “Lord, have mercy! Spare us! Help us! Hear us! Forgive our debt! Have mercy!”  This is why we are marked with ash tonight, that ancient Biblical symbol of mourning and repentance. We are reminded what we owe-everything, even your life.  We mark ourselves with ashes to how our mourning, our shame, our death. We are dust. We will die because of our sinfulness, because of our unpayable debt!  This is all the world can see as it looks at that smudge of ash upon your head.  And yet that ash is in the shape of the cross, for on that cross your debt was forgiven completely, paid in full by the blood of Jesus.

So yes, remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.  But also remember that God Himself became man, dust like you, joined to your temptation and suffering so that you may be joined to His death and resurrection. It should always awe us, amaze us, when we realize that the Son of God came into His creation for such a purpose.  When we realize that we are the servant who owes the master trillions in debt and that he has forgiven us without our even first asking for it…well, that should amaze us day after day, week after week. When we realize the volume of forgiveness we’ve received from our Lord, through our Lord, then we are able to forgive others as well, to our family and friends.

And yet we think it so hard to forgive. When the hurt runs deep, the debt owed to so large.  What are you still harboring in your heart, not able to forgive someone else for? Is it against a relative who insulted you at some family event? Is it a friend who manipulated you, or cheated you, or injured you in some way? Is there sin against you larger than 100 denarii? 1000 denarii? How many times have you had to forgive them already? 7, 27, 57 times?

When we refuse to forgive, we show that we have not yet fully understood the forgiveness we have received. Forgiveness is not optional. It is the mark of the Christian life of faith in Christ.  So we pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” You did not deserve it because your forgiveness, your salvation, is by grace alone.  Your sins are forgiven upon the cross. And so is the world’s.  The sinful world may not receive it well, may choke you for what it feels you owe, but you do not receive the grace of God in vain, but unto life everlasting as His holy people through faith in Christ the crucified. Turn away from your sin, return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love.

*This sermon is an adaption from the series "The Way of Grace" by Concordia Seminary, 2011.