September 14, 2008 Sermon
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Proper 19 - A
September 14, 2008 Emmanuel, San Angelo
This morning our readings center on the topic of forgiveness. In Exodus, despite Israel's fear and faithfulness, God rescues his chosen ones from the advancing Egyptians. Paul explains to the Romans that nothing is beyond the reign of Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the story of a generous king and an unforgiving servant.
It was Peter who asked the question, "Lord how often should I forgive?" You will remember that Peter was to Jesus both the exemplar and the example, the shining light and fallen star; the hero and the goat. He was the rock, but he was the one who denied Christ in the very moment of trial. The absurdity of Peter asking a question about forgiveness would not have been lost on people of the early church.
Here is a story of ridiculous proportions. A talent was a sum equal to 15 years wages for a laborer, multiplied by 10,000! It was a huge sum. But all was forgiven him. By contrast the second guy owed far less: 4 months back wages. It's like Congress with a 3 Trillion dollar National Debt, but a bank foreclosing on your house after a couple of missed payments. What is the right response? For Jesus the answer was clear: Stay focused on your blessings, and you may find yourself in the position of someone who is out a few bucks but who has inherited billions.
Again and again we need to be reminded of the need to be forgiving. Over and over again as parents we model forgiveness for our children, and with good reason: Forgiveness isn't something we come by naturally. It just seems to be part of human nature to cling to feelings of hurt, anger, resentment, and sensitivity which lead us invariably to take action, to exact punishment, demand recompense, to seek restitution, to "get back at someone" for wrongs committed. That is why we have a justice system to make sure that justice is administered fairly, equitably, and in accordance with established laws. Yet all too often forgiveness is not a part of the design. People want punishment to fit the crime. In an imperfect world sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
At this point in the events in the life Jesus, he was "ratcheting up" his expectations of his disciples:
"Take up your cross and follow me...
The first shall be last...
Love your neighbor as yourself...
Do to others as you would have them do to you."
You can almost sense Peter's exasperation when he begs the question:
"Lord, what if someone sins against me? And keeps sinning? How many times do I have to I forgive?"
I will always remember the man who was so angry, as we all were, after the Twin Towers had collapsed. We had just finished a memorial Eucharist, when he approached me to comment on my sermon. "Don't give me that turn the other cheek stuff..." he said (although he didn't use the word stuff). "This is the real world and something needs to be done!" I didn't disagree, but I did remind him that the "turn-the-other-cheek-stuff" wasn't my idea, it was Jesus', at whose table we had just finished receiving Communion.
"We are people of dust and spirit. Made of dust our bodies retain fingerprints and footprints... Fingerprints of hands that carefully held us in loving relationships... Footprints [of] persons [who] walked over us as if were made of eggshells. [We possess] scars where words wounded, where hands groped or became fists of power and control, and where boots were never removed as lives were trampled upon." (Quote from Lectionary Homiletics, vol. 19, no. 5, pg. 59)
If the Christian witness is to have any integrity whatsoever, it must be with the expectation that we will be a model of forgiveness; that we will pardon the sins of others; that we will go beyond the letter of the law, to favor Mercy and Compassion over Judgment. The forgiveness of God is unlimited: not to 7 times, or 77 times, but to the Nth degree. In God's world whoever counts has not forgiven at all. "Who are you to pass judgment...?" says Paul, "For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God."
We have before us, as always a challenge, to tread where few have dared to go: To forgive as God forgives: a million-fold. God sent his Son as the price for our salvation, and God does not use balance scales. And on those days when we feel like keeping score, it is good to know that God never does.
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Revised: 10/06/08