Sin, Repentance, and Forgiveness

Matthew 18:15-35

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

These passages speak to sin, repentance, and forgiveness as necessary and accountable for each other and from each other.  The first is the Lord’s word to us concerning those who sin against us and our expected responsibility in response.  First of all, we are responsible to tell that person their sin against us.  It is to be just between the two in private, not calling them out publicly in the presence of a crowd or published for lord to hear and read as politicians are so fond of doing in smear campaigns.  If they refuse to hear or admit their wrongdoing in wronging us, then we are called of necessity to bring a witness or two (Deuteronomy 19:15) to the refusal with us and try again with the hope that the offend repents and turns from continuing sin to reconciliation between you and him.  If the offender will still not confess and forsake the sin against you, then bring them to the church elders.  If they continue in refusing to hear and be reconciled to man and God, they are to be treated as one opposed to God and His people as the heathen and a tax collector.  The tax collectors were considered as betrayers of the Jewish people who sold out their own for gain in supporting the occupying Romans, and the heathen were those opposed to God and His people in hating His word and all righteousness.  Hard words to des the impenitent, but necessary for the good spiritual health of the body if repentance and reconciliation is refused.  The sentence of church discipline therefore imposed on the impenitent is essential to the good of all and the keeping of peace among the faithful.  God is the witness of the sentence when all else fails and stands with the witnesses gathered in His name to enact this discipline.  His kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4) in due time for those who are called by His name.  

For those who are unforgiving and who seek vengeance, Jesus continued the lesson by answering the question of how many times we must forgive those who offend us by doing wrong to us.  He began by saying seventy times seven times, four hundred ninety if taken literally to illustrate the unending requirement to keep on forgiving as they confess yet still injure us with sin.  He led this statement into a parable of a king who was calling his debtors to account and forgave one who owed him much.  That king was moved with compassion and forgave him the debt, but the forgiven one did not seem appreciative and instead of forgiving another who likewise owed him a debt, he had him throw into debtor’s prison until he was paid back in full.  He did not learn the compassion to forgive as the mightier king above him had done for him.  His master was rightly angered and held the unrepentant and unloving sinner to account by the same sentence of suffering until he paid back the original forgiven amount that was rightfully due.  The moral of the parable was that we reap what we sow in regards to forgiveness.  We are to constantly remember how our Heavenly Father forgives us all in Christ and forgive all others who sin against us in return as the Lord’s Prayer reminds us in Matthew 6:12, 14-15 for our accountability to Him and forgiving grace to each other, even if it amounts to seventy time seven times every day.  Humility and appreciation for our own forgiveness for eternal consequences is the real key to forgiving others who sin against us.