Grace Received, Grace Given

Just to give our gospel reading some context, just prior to the passage we read this morning Matthew tells us how Jesus was talking to his disciples about organization and discipline within the church. There's the part about, "if someone offends you, go to them alone to try to straighten it out. If that doesn't work, take someone else with you. If that proves unsuccessful, take it to the congregation. "(And) if two of you agree on anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my father in heaven," Jesus says. "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them." (Matt.18:15-17, 19-20)

Jesus is talking about relationships, individual relationships as well as relationships within the body. And through his abiding presence, there is Jesus’ relationship, his abiding presence, with those who believe in him.

It is Peter who puts a fine point on Jesus’ words by asking a personal question. "but what if someone sins against me? How many times do I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

I came across a commentator who wondered if Peter was trying to win a gold star from Jesus. "Yes, I am not only willing to forgive someone, Lord, but I am willing to go a few extra miles."

If, in fact, Peter is trying to win points with his Lord, Jesus is having none of it because he raises the bar, doesn't he? You don't forgive seven times but seventy-seven times. Jesus then goes on to tell a story about grace, and the consequences of not showing some sincerity toward others when they too need forgiveness. "forgiveness carries a heavy price," this commentator says. "a forgiven soul should be a forgiving soul." (illustrations, e-sermons Matt.18:21-35) Although they are not intentionally connected in our reading this morning, these two sections of Matthew’s writing, the first about church organization and discipline, and the second about forgiveness, do form sort of a cohesive unit, don't they?

The reality is that situations can develop in almost any church, can't they? As we know all too well, they can range from minor disagreements to outright conflict. I suspect that we know from experience that, as you move up the scale from one to the next, it becomes a little more difficult to reconcile the situation. Perhaps that is why Jesus wants people to talk to each other, to reason together. He was very concerned about the unity and the integrity of his church. The reminder that he would be among even the fewest of members, even two or three, is to assure us all that, no matter what we face, we are not alone when we are sincere is trying to work it through.

I want to tell you a story about two friends who were traveling across a desert. At some point, they had a terrible argument. It escalated to the point that one man just hauled off and slapped the other in the face. The one who was slapped was astounded that his friend would do such a thing. But, without saying anything, he simply leaned down and wrote in the sand, "my friend slapped me in the face today."

No words were exchanged between the two men. They continued their journey until they came to an oasis where they decided to bathe. By chance, the man who was slapped became trapped in some mud at the edge of the oasis, and the man who had slapped him reached out his hand and pulled him out, saving his life. After he recovered, the man who had been slapped and who had been saved wrote on a stone, "today my friend saved my life." His traveling companion said to him, "after I hurt you, you wrote something in the sand, but now you have written in stone. Why is that?" The other man said, "when someone hurts us, we should write it in sand so that the winds of time and forgiveness can carry it away. But when someone does good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no one can ever erase it."

I recently came across an article that talks about the physical manifestations of anger. This article cites some medical research that says that "persons who are unforgiving are more susceptible to a variety of illness than are their more tolerant counterparts. Type "A" personalities (long thought to be particularly prone to cardiovascular illness) are no more likely than anyone else to suffer heart attack or stroke. The culprit…is anger. Type "A" persons are in danger only if they carry around unresolved hostility. It is anger, not activity, that places a person at risk."

Let's get back to our gospel reading and think about the question Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness. We don't know what was in Peter's heart or mind, but we might wonder if he had someone particular in mind. Was he carrying some unspoken hurt?

That's the kind of question we might ask ourselves. What sort of baggage do we carry around? Are there unresolved conflicts, hurts, pains or disappointments that someone may have inflicted upon us, intentionally or not? If so, are we ready to forgive them, not once but the seventy-seven times that Jesus suggests? That approach just might work if, in fact, it is was actually a minor slight, one of those regrettable situations. But what about those times when something really gets under our skin? We're talking about the kinds of aggravations that just don't seem to lessen over time. When those sorts of feelings develop or persist I think we have to tread very carefully. In truth, it's not as if any of us are truly sinless or hasn't wounded someone else. What is it the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans? "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom.3:23) All have sinned, Paul says. That's a fairly straightforward statement, but Paul also says, "(all) are justified freely by (God's) grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

That affirmation provides a nice introduction to our reading from psalms. Let’s listen to the words again:

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; in my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. He forgives all my sin and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. The lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions

It’s something to think about.

Amen.