By Pastor Matthew
The parables of the prodigal son and the unmerciful servant teach us something else about repentance and forgiveness. While we should ask God to forgive us of our sins, we should also ask forgiveness from any person who has suffered because of our sin, if that person is available. Repentance and forgiveness are not limited to our relationship to God but, in many instances, can and should take place in our relationships with other human beings. Jesus said that we should “believe in the gospel” that the “kingdom of God is at hand.” The reign of God is a reality here and now for those who commit themselves to love God and to love their neighbor. How do we know if we are committed to God’s way of love? We know by our experience of “repentance” whenever we fail to love.
If we have chosen to follow God’s natural laws of love, we will experience remorse and sorrow whenever we fail to love. This should lead us to repent (turn away from) such unloving behavior and seek forgiveness. If a person is not committed to follow God’s natural laws, such a person will not feel remorse or sorrow over a failure to love. Of course, no one is perfect. There will be times when we fail to live by love. But if we are trying to live by God’s natural laws of love, we will always experience repentance whenever we fail to love. The ability to repent is a sign that we “believe in the gospel” of the Kingdom of God.
To pray this way is to pray for something radical, something that shatters all our assumptions and expectations about the basic patterns of ordinary social life. In our world, you do not get anything for nothing. If you want something, you must pay for it; you must make some kind of exchange. But forgiveness overturns the entire economy of exchange-in forgiveness; I give you something for nothing, without requiring payment or exchange, without demanding anything in return. In the economy of exchange, you are bound to me by various contracts and conditions. However, in the economy of forgiveness, you are set free from all bondage to me, unconditionally liberated from all indebtedness to me.
Forgiveness is therefore something shocking, something astonishing and unexpected. It lies outside the basic patterns and assumptions that underpin our entire culture. It is wholly undetermined and contingent. It is an event that can never be anticipated in advance. It is an eruption of the ordinary until we have been shocked and astonished even to the point of being frightened by the power of forgiveness. We have not yet even begun to understand what is involved in the area of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is shocking because it is a miracle. In and of myself, I lack the capacity to forgive. However, as I receive the forgiving love of God in Jesus, I am empowered by the Spirit to become an agent of that same forgiveness. Because I have been forgiven, I can and must forgive. When I forgive a person who has wronged me, that person is truly forgiven-they are liberated from the chains of the past and set free to participate in the life of God’s coming kingdom. So too, when this person forgives me, I am truly forgiven. I am liberated from the past and welcomed into the life of the kingdom. Through the power of the Spirit, human society in all its forms can then begin to glimpse and to participate in the life of the kingdom through this astounding miracle of reciprocal forgiveness.
By Pastor Matthew
The parable of the prodigal son teaches us that we are sinning against God our Father if we squander the life that we have received. God expects us to invest ourselves to produce something good in the world. Jesus also said something else about repentance in the parable of the unmerciful servant as follows:
Matthew 18:23-35
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents (a large amount of money); and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, Pay what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you. He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then the lord summoned him and said to him, you wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you asked me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? And in his anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. Jesus said, so also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
In this parable, when a servant failed to pay what he owed the king, the servant fell down on his knees and asked for the king’s patience. The king had mercy on the servant and forgave him of his large debt. But this same servant refused to show mercy and forgive a fellow servant who owed him a small debt. The king condemned the servant who refused to forgive his fellow servant. Jesus’ point is clear, if we repent of sins, God will forgive us in the same way that we are willing to forgive those who sin against us. In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, Jesus makes this same point: ”And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Luke 11:4)
The parable of the unmerciful servant tells us that God will forgive our sins (1) if we repent and ask God to forgive us and (2) if we are willing to forgive others who sin against us. Jesus said, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sin’s against you seven times in a day and turns to you seven times, and says, “I repent,”‘ you must forgive him. (Luke 17:3-4) Again, Jesus said, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
How do we forgive someone that has not repented or shown any remorse? Do I have to forgive an individual(s) that have not repented, asked for forgiveness, or show remorse of any kind? The answer is yes! We must forgive them by giving those individuals over to Jesus who have not yet repented or asked for forgiveness and allow Jesus to deal with them. This means all of our anger, hurt, pain, etc. needs to be given to Jesus regarding the individual and or the situation. When we stay bitter and angry we give Satan a foothold to further the discourse and further inflict pain in the lives of those involved.
By Pastor Matthew
Part one of this Blog series brought up a huge issue regarding forgiving others. How can I forgive someone who has not asked me to forgive them? I will answer this question with a question. Does forgiveness always follow repentance? Meaning when Jesus forgives us of our debts, mistakes, transgressions, does He automatically do it, or do we have to repent and ask for His mercy and grace? The answer is we have to repent and ask Him to forgive us.
There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. First, the verb metamelomai, which is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3). Second, the verb Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. The third, the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Cor. 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavor to a holy life walking with God in the way of his commandments. The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Ps. 51:4, 9), of pollution (51:5, 7, 10), and of helplessness (51:11; 109:21, 22). Therefore, he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Ps. 51:1; 130:4).
Repetance Lies in the Oposite Direction
The meaning of “repent” is found in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son as follows:
Luke 15:11-24
“And he (Jesus) said, There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me (by inheritance).’ And he (the father) divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all that he had and took his journey to a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And
The Prodigal Son in Misery
he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry.”
The parable of the prodigal son illustrates the process and meaning of repentance. The process began when the young son recognized his wrong-doing against his father. The son had shown disrespect for his father by squandering the property that his father had given to him. The next thing to come was the son’s decision to turn away from his wrong-doing and confess his sin with an attitude of contrition (feeling sorry for what he had done). The son said to himself, “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
Then came the son’s actual change in direction in his life and his confession of wrong-doing “And he arose and came to his father….and the son said to him, I have sinned….” The son’s confession of sin was made to his father who had been hurt by his son’s bad behavior, and the son was willing to make amends by working as a hired servant. Of course, the father’s response was forgiveness and rejoicing. “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” This parable of the prodigal son shows that repentance has a process and the process of repentance includes:
1. The recognition of and acceptance of personal responsibility for sin.
Welcome Home Son I Forgive You!
2. A sincere feeling of remorse and sorrow for having sinned.
3. A conscious decision to stop the wrong-doing.
4. An actual “turning away from” the sin. This is a change of direction in behavior.
5. A confession of sin and a humble request for forgiveness. The request for forgiveness is made to the one who has been hurt by the sin.
6. An offer to make amends for the hurt that was caused by the sin.
7. Repentance is not just an intellectual exercise of “feeling sorry” for sins. Repentance
involves a “turning” or “reorientation” of one’s life. The evidence of that change is
seen in the “fruit,” or how a person lives. John the Baptist told those who came to
confess their sins that they must “bear fruit that befits (evidences) repentance”
(Matthew 3:8).
Thoughts or Questions anyone?
By Pastor Matthew
I will be starting a Six part Blog series titled ”The Freedom Found In Forgiveness.” We may interrupt this topic with other topics that may come up. However, to make it easier to find this Blog series, I will title all the blogs that have to do with this subject the same way (Part 1, 2, 3 etc) in the subject line. Please feel free to make comments or ask questions.
The Freedom Found In Forgiveness (Part 1)
The Christian life is comprised by the gift of forgiveness. At the beginning of the Christian life, the submerging of baptism dramatically enacts the free and unconditional gift of forgiveness by which God receives humankind into the fellowship of his own triune life. In baptism, the past is washed away. All our guilt and shame is removed – it is drowned and left behind in the water. In this way, the power of the past is broken, so that a person emerges from the water into new life, into a life wholly open to the future of God’s coming kingdom.
Forgiveness is not, however, merely the start of the Christian life. Each day and at every moment, we continue to live by the power of forgiveness. Each day, the Christian community repeats the same prayer: “Forgive us our debts!” Each day, we continue to need and to ask for God’s forgiveness. Although we are baptized only once, throughout the whole Christian life we continue to share in the Eucharistic meal-the meal of forgiveness. Just as we share together in the bread and wine, so we are reminded that God’s forgiving grace is our food and drink, our nourishment, our very life. To eat and drink forgiveness, to be sustained by forgiveness-this is the meaning of the Christian life.
So our prayer each day is: “Forgive us our debts!” Forgiveness is the opposite of being treated as we deserve to be treated. It is the opposite of restitution justice. It is the opposite of “karma,” of reaping what has been sowed. It is the opposite of every kind of moral legalism. So too, it is the opposite of making amends for the past. It is the opposite of conditions, negotiation, and exchange.
Forgiveness is not restitution-it is an unconditional pardon. It is cancellation of debt. Forgiveness therefore involves both recognition of the debt that is owed, and an irreversible decision that the debt will be cancelled. It is therefore not a matter of simply forgetting the past-it is a powerful annulment of the past, an act in which the chains of the past are broken. Through forgiveness, the past itself is then transformed into something new, just as the future is suddenly opened in a new way. Liberated from the power of the past, I am now set in motion towards a future rich with hope and possibility. This, then, is the unique freedom of the Christian life: to stand forgiven before God, and thereby truly free in relation to my own past and to the future of God’s kingdom.
But our daily prayer is not only “forgive us our debts.” In fact, our prayer is: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are in debt to us.” This prayer means: “Set me free from the past, just as I release others from the chains of their past. Cancel my debts today, just as today I release others from the debts they owe me. Do not demand restitution for guilt from me, just as I refuse to demand restitution from others. Set me free from the need to make amends, just as I excuse others from this need. Forgive me unconditionally, just as I forgive without negotiation or condition.”
THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS ANYONE?
