Monday Morning Gospel QB:  God's Way or Man's
Channel: Spirit Moves 4-2-1
Date: 16/11/2020

Intro:  Good Morning - we look again today at issues within the church and visit with Peter - the kid in class who asks all the questions, wondering about how often do I forgive . . . Come with me wont you as we look at 2 different responses to this question : God's Way & Man's . . . 

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Forgiveness
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, (again another question like last week about the church) how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?”  ?
Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him;  and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.  So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’  And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.    But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’  But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.  When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.  So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

This week we enter into another Parable or story - 

Its precipitated by Peter . . . Asking Jesus how often must I forgive.  Again Jesus is turning everything "Upside Down" . . . Remember he's re-writing the old code, challenging old ideas or expectations, trying to establish a new way - God's way in the hear and now and you can almost hear Peter saying . . . Ok so this new way - what about forgiveness, how many times do I have to forgive someone ? ? ? Jesus, the master teacher, answers with a bit of a riddle and then with a story . . . 

And its an easy read - a man with an insurmountable debt has it forgiven - great . . . Go Do the same.  But when the same man meets someone else who owes him money he takes a different path and that’s where things shift again. . . Forgive and you will be forgiven . . . Don’t forgive and you will not be forgiven . . . You will get what you give, in fact You'll will be tortured.  

But lets look a little closer . . . 

"The King" gives "Mercy" and forgiveness of an unimaginable debt . . . In the world of Jesus - a "Denarii"  or "Penny" - was about a days wage for an agriculture worker.  Compare that to a "Talent" - which is about 15 years worth of wages, and this man owed 10,000 Talents or 150,000 years of wages . . . Outrageous / Crazy amount.