Weekly Message: Forgiveness in the
kingdom of God (Matthew18:21-35)
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Messiah Christ Jesus taught a lesion of forgiveness,
unveiled in the Matthew 18:21-35. When Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord,
how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? up to seven
times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you not seven times, but seventy seven times”
(Matt.18:22). Why Jesus emphasized the importance of forgiveness that we must
forgive those who sin against us, not only seven times, but seventy seven times?
For it matters to the forgiveness in the kingdom of God. If we
do not forgive a brother from our heart today, we will not be allowed to enter
into the kingdom in the coming age.
The judgment seat of Christ about the forgiveness in his
coming, Jesus used “a king who desired to settle accounts with his salves” as parable
to explain the forgiveness in the kingdom. “One owed
him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able
to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that
he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him, “Be
patient with me”, he begged, and “I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and
let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a hundred denarili.
He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me! He demanded.
His follow servant fell to his knees and begged him, “be patient with me.
And I will pay you back.” But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into
prison until he could pay the debt.” When the other servants saw what
had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything
that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. “you wicked
servant.” He said, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged
me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on
you?” in anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be
tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This
is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your
brother from your heart.
Implication of
Matt.18:23-35
Ten thousand
talents such a large amount indicates that it was impossible for the debtor to
pay off the debt. This refers to the heavy debt of our sins against the Lord
accumulated after we are saved. The forgiveness of our debts incurred after we
are saved and become salves of the Lord. One owed a hundred denarili symbolizes
that once we face a brother sin committed against us after we are saved and
become salve of the Lord. Not forgive the brother who sins against us will
grieve the other brothers, and they may bring this matter to the Lord. The
Lord’s dealing with His believers at His coming back. If we do not forgive the
brother who sins against us, we will be disciplined by the Lord until we
forgive him from the heart. Until we repay all that is owed, The Lord will
forgive us. This is forgiveness in the kingdom of God.
This implies that if we do not forgive a brother
from our heart today, we will not be allowed to enter into the kingdom in the
coming age.
Turn to him the other cheek (Matthew5:38-42) is the most
difficult lesion to Christianity. Jesus said, "You have heard that it was
said, “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." but I tell you that
you are not to seek revenge of an injury. Whoever strikes you on the cheek,
turn the other to him also. Whoever wants to sue you for the shirt on your back
let him have your coat as well. Whoever forces you to go one mile with him,
consent to go two, give to whoever begs of you, and
do not turn your back upon him who wants to borrow.
My friends, can you fulfill these commands?
Can you let go all the hurts the man had done to you? No, you can't, but Jesus
did. That's why we need Jesus to be our savior and redeemer. Jesus has been
carried all the hurts for us on the cross since 2000 years ago. When you got
hurts, just look at cross, and call upon the name of Jesus, and say, “Lord,
please heal me, I let all the hurts go and hand it over to the cross".
Bibliography,
Bruce, Katherine L. Weekly
Message:
Forgiveness in the kingdom of God (Matthew 18: 21-35)
Orlando,
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