Forgiven If you’re new to Lifpoint | Worthington, take 30 seconds to fill out our Welcome Card! Have a question about today's message? Ask it here. Matthew 18:21-27 (ESV) 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. The Paradox of Forgiveness Our horizontal relationships are a small-scale model of the full-scale relationship God desires with us. We live in the “Construction Zone” between the ideal and reality. Abraham Lincoln modeled the tension of a shocking grace during his second inaugural address: “With malice toward none; with charity for all… let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds…” Forgiveness is a beautiful but unsettling paradox. We often fear that forgiving someone simply lets an abuser off the hook. Have a question or pushback on this? Ask it here. The Invisible Ledger The original biblical word for forgiveness means to release a debt. Human relationships naturally run on unwritten expectations. When we are hurt, an invisible ledger opens up demanding repayment. Peter asks for a mathematical limit; Jesus tells him to throw the ledger away. Cheap forgiveness acts like a magic band-aid over a massive wound. True forgiveness is not a stoic event, but a grueling process. The Bankrupt Servant In Jesus' story, the servant owes an unpayable debt and offers a delusional payment plan. When God looks at our spiritual bankruptcy, He is stirred with deep affection. God doesn't view us like a banker collecting a debt, but like a Father. Have a question or pushback on this? Ask it here. Absorbing the Cost In forgiving the debt, the King takes the financial loss Himself. Pretending sin didn't matter isn't true justice. On the cross, Jesus absorbed the ultimate hit so that our debt could be released. So What? Our ability to forgive others starts by looking at the cross. Seeing how completely you are forgiven gives you the security to let go. Action Step: Carry the face of the person who hurt you—and their invisible ledger—to the cross. Letting God's radical love wreck your heart is what will ultimately set you free. As always, if you'd like to talk more with me about anything we discussed, you can sign up for meeting time. If you have any questions from the message today, send them here and I'll follow up!