“Forgive”

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

St. Michael Lutheran Church

10-7-07

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Luke 17:3-4 “So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent, ‘ forgive him.” This is the word of the Lord.

Illustration “forgive”

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart.

It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber over by the barn? I want you to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence - so I won't need to see his place anymore. Cool him down, anyhow."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence at
all. It was a bridge - a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all - and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers met at the middle of the bridge, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have so many more bridges to build."

I. Perhaps you can remember a similar incident. You got into a disagreement with the next door neighbors, friends or colleague, but a few hour later you were friends again. Forgiveness, no hard feelings. It’s too bad some people can’t be like that. people bear grudges. People refuse to apologize. People won’t forgive and forget.

That ‘s not how God wants us to live. Jesus said, “So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent, ‘ forgive him.” Each one of us daily receives the forgiving mercy of God. We don’t deserve it or earn, but God forgives us anyway. We therefore have an obligation to pass that mercy on to others and forgive one another.

It isn’t easy to forgive. When someone has done us wrong, forgiveness is usually the farthest thing from our minds. Instead of being merciful, we are as the Scripture says, “Filled with bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (Ephesians 4:31). We want revenge. We want to get even. We want to hurt the person who hurt us. A wife refuses to forgive her husband, so she gives him the cold shoulder for a couple of days. Instead of a forgiving hug and kiss, she glares at him and keeps him at arms length. A husband becomes angry at his wife for some trivial mistake. He then brings up everything she’s done wrong in the last two months. Two friends have a disagreement. Instead of talking it over and apologizing, they go around and tell everyone what a jerk the other guy is. It isn’t easy to forgive. Our sinful nature, our hurt pride would, would rather bear a grudge, or gossip, or get even.

When we refuse to forgive, one of the by-products we suffer is bitterness. Our whole life can sour because we can’t let go of some past offense. Many of you will have heard of Corrie Ten Boom. During the war her family hid Jews above their family shop until she and her sister Betsie were arrested by the Nazis and put in Ravensbrook concentration camp. There Betsie died.

After the war Corrie was speaking in a church in Munich. Then, as she shook hands with people, she found herself confronted by a man she recognised as having been a guard in the camp. She heard him saying, 'You mentioned Ravensbrook in your talk, I was a guard there. But since that time I have become a Christian. I know God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear from your lips as well. Fräulein, will you forgive me?'

Corrie says that she could not. Betsie had died in that place. Could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? Corrie says that it could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out. But to her it seemed hours as she wrestled with the most difficult decision she had ever had to make. She stood there with coldness clutching her heart. But she knew that forgiveness is not an emotion, it is an act of the will - she had to hand on the forgiveness she knew. ‘Jesus help me,’ she prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand; I can so that much. You supply the feeling.’

So woodenly, mechanically, she thrust out her hand into the one outstretched to her and offered the forgiveness God had given her. As she did, an incredible thing took place. She says that the current started in her shoulder, raced down her arm and sprang into their joined hands. Then a healing warmth seemed to flood her whole being, bringing tears to her eyes. ‘I forgive you, brother,’ she cried, ‘ with all my heart!’ For a long moment they grasped each others hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. Corrie had never known God’s love so intensely as she did then. She was able to forgive as she had been forgiven.

II. When we refuse to forgive, we hurt ourselves. It isn’t easy to forgive, but it is possible. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can put aside the feelings of bitterness, rage and anger. The Apostle Paul write, “bless those who persecute you….Do not repay anyone evil for evil…Do not take revenge, my friends, for it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord…” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14;17;19;19) The way to overcome evil is by forgiveness. The way to remove bitterness from our lives is by being letting go of the pass. Revenge only creates more bitterness. If we can’t let bygones be bygones, we get caught in the endless cycle of getting even. And where does that leave us? Bitter and angry. Forgiveness is the only positive way to deal with those feelings. Forgiveness is the answers to evil.

Forgiveness is possible when we remember how God forgives us. Even though we break the commandments every day, God still daily and richly forgives us. God knows all the things we do wrong – every thought, word, and action. Yet, He still merciful. God could condemn us for eternity. Rather, He chose to forgive. When we forgive, it doesn’t cost us anything. God’s forgiveness did not come so cheap. It cost the life of His Son Jesus, the only one who could pay the price for our sins. The Apostle wrote, “In Christ we have redemption thru his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7) Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 10:14-15; 15:13)

Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful….Forgive and you will be forgive.” (Luke 6:36-37). God forgives everything we have done wrong, even those things we are deeply ashamed of. Because of that, we cannot deny forgiveness to those who have sinned against us. When we receive and appreciate the mercy of God, we will pass that mercy on to others.

In "The Christian Leader," Don Ratzlaff retells a story Vernon Grounds came across in Ernest Gordon's Miracle on the River Kwai. The Scottish soldiers, forced by their Japanese captors to labor on a jungle railroad, had degenerated to barbarous behavior, but one afternoon something happened. A shovel was missing. The officer in charge became enraged. He demanded that the missing shovel be produced, or else. When nobody in the squadron budged, the officer got his gun and threatened to kill them all on the spot . . . It was obvious the officer meant what he had said. Then, finally, one man stepped forward. The officer put away his gun, picked up a shovel, and beat the man to death. When it was over, the survivors picked up the bloody corpse and carried it with them to the second tool check. This time, no shovel was missing. Indeed, there had been a miscount at the first check point. The word spread like wildfire through the whole camp. An innocent man had been willing to die to save the others! . . . The incident had a profound effect. . . The men began to treat each other like brothers. When the victorious Allies swept in, the survivors, human skeletons, lined up in front of their captors (and instead of attacking their captors) insisted: "No more hatred. No more killing. Now what we need is forgiveness." Sacrificial love has transforming power to forgiveness.

III. God takes forgiveness very seriously. If we refuse to forgive someone, how can we expect God to forgive us? If we refuse to forgive someone, how can we stand in church and honestly speak the confession of sins: “I pray of your boundless mercy, and for the sake of the holy innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being?” In the Lord’s Prayer we ask, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us?” With those words, Jesus reminds us that just as God is merciful to us, we are to be merciful to others. The Apostle Peter approached Jesus one day and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22) Here we see God’s mercy. He doesn’t keep score. He keeps no record of wrongs. Instead our heavenly Father says, “The Lord, the Lord, the gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.”(Exodus 34:6-7). Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful….Forgive and you will be forgive.” (Luke 6:36-37).

Is our forgiveness perfect? Can we always put the past behind and never give it another thought? No. Only God can do that. At time we will have feelings of resentment over some past offense. We are still a sinful people. But God will not condemn us because we still have those feelings. Rather God helps us overcome them. Instead of dwelling on past hurts, God hold the love of Christ before our eyes. God invites us to turn our thoughts to Him who gave Himself for our forgiveness. When we remember Christ and His love for us, when Christ is in our heart, forgiveness is easier. When we understand and appreciate God’s great love for us, we can also forgive one another. Amen. Now may the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Sermon Notes

“Forgive”

John 17:3-4

1. Each one of us daily receives the forgiving mercy of God. We don’t deserve it or earn, but God forgives us anyway. We therefore have an obligation to pass that mercy on to others and forgive one another.

2. When we refuse to forgive, one of the by-products we suffer is bitterness. Our whole life can sour because we can’t let go of some past offense.

3. The way to overcome evil is by forgiveness.

4. Forgiveness is possible when we remember how God forgives us.

5. Is our forgiveness perfect? Yes or No Why? Because We are still a sinful people

6. When we remember Christ and His love for us, when Christ is in our heart, forgiveness is easier. When we understand and appreciate God’s great love for us, we can also forgive one another.