The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-04-16
A LESSON ON FORGIVENESS.
International Sunday school Lesson
Cor Anil od 1GD2

dOl4DGAN 1s-l VI bifcB ohN ~ SA'~-~
be forgiven.-Luke 6:T.
TIME.-Autumn Of A d. %. After the
Feast of Tabernacles, which that year &C.
CURED October II.
PEACE.-Capernaum near the Sea OF
Galilee.
EXPLANATION.
In these latter months Jesus gives
many practical instructions to HIS
disciples, for the guidance of their flu
ture conduct. In this lesson we should
take up the whole subject of forgive
ness. Jesus spoke repeatedly upon
this duty, because it was very practical;
it was a touchstone of the real state of
the heart; the demand for its practice
was very frequent; it was a duty OF al
most daily practice by Christ himself;
it was very hard duty, contrary to the
prevailing tendency of the age.
/. The Law of Forgiveness for Per-
sonal Offenses.-Vs. 81, %. In the pre-
vious portions Of this discourse Jesus
had referred to offenses which led 9TH
ers to sin, and had been teaching the
disciples what to do when others tres
passed against them. The duty seemed
to lie on Peters mind, as one difficult
to perform, and differing from the pre-
vailing opinions of the day. Hence Pc
ter asked the question that follows, in
order to gain more light. "How oft
shall my brother sin against me, and
forgive him?" He foresees that his
brother would probably repeat his Of
Tense. In answer Jesus enunciates the
principle that always and under all cir
cumstances we must have forgiving
heart, whatever the offense against us,
or the attitude of the offender; never
the spirit of hate, or revenge, or retail
alton. 81 say not unto thee, until
seven times; but, until seventy times
seven" 1t is symbolical expression
for never-ending forgiveness.
II. An llustration.-Vs. 1884. Jesus
proceeds to enforce this principle by a
parable in three scenes. The picture is
drawn from an oriental court. The
provincial governors, farmers of taxes
and other high officials are summoned
before despotic sovereign to give an
account of their administration.
One was brought before the king who
owed him 10000 talents. This is esti-
mated to be worth $40, 100000 or $780, 00,-
| 600 if weighed by Hebrew talents; q
| Greek talent was about half the weight
| of a Hebrew talent. In either case il
was a sum impossible to pay. So his
lord commanded him to be sold, and his
wife, and children, and all that he had
| and payment to be made. 1t is still
| common in oriental countries to inflict
| all this upon man of the highest sta
ton. 1.-THE servant therefore fell dowr
and worshiped him, saying: Lord, have
patience with me and will pay thee
ALL Then the lord of that servant wa:
moved with compassion and looset
him, and forgave him the debt" There
was no other way of deliverance.
The immense debt of this guilty off
Ger represents the magnitude of TIT
debt which the sinner owes to God, ana
the hopelessness of ever payingit. Sin'
are compared to debts, because the,
represent all that duty and love whicl
we owe to God, but have never by on
lives paid; all that in which we hav,
come short of the glory of God. Al
this unmeasured debt of sin God freel,
forgives for the sake of Jesus, His Son
He forgves in such a way as to TAX
away both the sin and the penalty o
sin. Some of the consequences of sill
are not Immediately taken away, be
cause they are needful for the takin
away of the sin itself But the penalt.
and the worst consequence of sin ar
taken away Immediately by forgive
ness-the separation and alienation o
the soul from God.
Scene Second.-Then this same sery
ant went out and found fellow servan
who owed him 100 pence. The silve
penny was about the same as de
, narius, and 100 of them were worth 81
or S17, about one millionth part of tn
debt the unmerciful servant owed tn
king. And he took him by the throat
saying: Pay me that thou owest. "An
,, his fellow servant fell down at his fee
and besought him, saying: Have pa
tience with me, and | will pay thee al
And he would not, but went and cas-
him into prison, till he should pay tn
debt" The man who is most shift
. toward God is apt to be the hardest j
dealing with those who sin against hin
self.
!, felt great pity for the unfortunate maj
and told unto their lord all that wa
done. They were sure he would lister
since he had been so compassionate
toward the first debtor. "Then his lori
after that he had called him, said unit
him: o thou wicked servant, forgay
g thee all that debt, because thou d.
siredst me: Shouldest not thou ais
have had compassion on thy fello
= servant, even as l had pity on thee
: And his lord was wroth, and delivere
, him to the tormentors, till he Shout
/. pay all that was due unto him." H
D heart must have been very hard au
cruel. The mercy of his king could nj
n soften it. He had sought forgiveness
9 from fear of loss, not because he w;
i sorry for his wrong doing. The SUITE
I ings of others did not move him.
h Then Christ adds the moral: so lilS
: wise shall my Heavenly Father do ais
unto you, if We from your hearts TO
give not everyone his brother theirtre
passes" And our forgiveness is not
n be merely in form and words, but fro
s sincere love, with true forgiveness.
,,or