The Yale expositor., 1906-07-06
The Duty of
Forgiveness
Sunday School Lesson Tor July 8. 1906
Specially Prepared for Tits Paper.

LESSON TEXT.-Matt. 1s:21-35. Mem
DRY verses p, 22.
] GOLDEN TEXT-"Forgive us our
debts as we forgive our debtors Matt.
SIP.
TIME.-Summer A. d. 20, Immediately
following last lesson.
PLACE.-Capernaum, near the Sea OF
aGlilee.
I SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. - For
giveness of God, as an example or our
forgiving: Eek. 2O:6; BAT; Mum. 4lS;
SAM 1913; Chron. 7:14: ELI. 9:17; Ps.
l2I; 81; 1888: 1892; 1904; Prov. 2S:l3; lisa.
l:1s; 1925; 557; Jer. 1922; S:4; Ezek'
1881; SO :26: Dan. 90; Hos. 144 Mic. 1IS;
Matt. 545; 6:14 Mark S:2s; Luke LII;
Aas 5;3l; 26:1S; Rom. "a; SO; 1913; Eph'
ia; 2:4-7; Col. 2;13; John 1s. Forglv-
ing one another: Prov. 1911; Matt 5:ZS'
"a; 6:l4; 1921, 22; Mark ll:25; Luxe o:St'
| ia; 1873, 5; 2 Cor. 81; Eph. 4:S2; COL
313; Pet. 3:9. Forgiving enemies: Prov.
A;17, 10; 25:2l. %, Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27;
/ Rom. 12:14, 1920. Parallels illustrating
forgiveness: % Forgiveness of God:
Matt 1S:12-14; Luke 10. (O our part IN
forgiveness: Matt. 1S:23-S5; Luke 7:4l-5O.
Examples of forgiveness: Joseph (Gen.
I5:5-1D; Moses (Num. 1871, 49,; David u
Sam. PAT; 26:9; Christ duke S:SD;
/ Stephen (Acts 1900; Paul q Tim. 4:l6).
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
VS.. 1920. In our last lesson we
were warned against giving offense.
Here we are taught what to do when
we are the receivers; for offenses are
sure to come. Everyone receives
criticisms and wrongs which try his
temper to the utmost. Especially Is
this true of the ambitious spirits who
seek to be first, as described in our
] lagf
AN ambitious man is sure to be the
receiver of many offenses, real OF
/ imaginary. He is quick to take of
tense, and slow to forgive or forget
wrong" But the danger assails all
classes, and even the very young.
l. Go to him privately and alone
If our object is to gain our brother
and help him to do right, we will
DOT make known the wrong to Others
make it a matter of notoriety; for
that makes the settlement far more
difficult. His pride, or even seif-re
spect, will tend to keep him from ac
knowledging his fault. This is most
important principle. The wise head
of a great asylum told me that in deal.
]
most Importance to keep away the
audience; and that almost everyone
was influenced by the presence of 9th.
ers. The wisest teacher of my &C.
quaintance deals in the same way
with his boys. Deal with them alone
whenever it is possible. Thus thy
brother will be most likely to hear
thee and thou hast gained thy broth.
er, gained him for righteousness, for
salvation, for a Christian life, and
probably as a friend
2. If this fails, then the next step
Is to get help from one or two others;
and if this fails, from the larger com.
munity. If this fails, he is to be to
you heather, and a publican, out.
side of your religious and social COM
pany, but not outside of your love
and care and desire to help (See
Rom. 1919, 20) In all cases the oh.
ject is not revenge, but to save and
help the offender. Henry Ward
Beecher used to say that he looked
upon those who maligned him, and
said bitter things against him, as sick
people whom he must try to cure Of
their moral disease.
Then follows a principle concerning
prayer. In the familiar discourse of
Jesus with his disciples it was natural
to change from one topic to another.
But this, coming between two discus.
sions on injuries and the treatment
Of those who injure us, is appropri.
ate. 1t implies that Jesus understood
that his precept was very hard to
practice. almost beyond human pow.
er till filed with the spirit of God.
Therefore he urges not simply prayer,
but united prayer, even of two or
three If more cannot be obtained. For
they mutually encourage each other
in faith and earnestness. Two fire.
brands together make a larger, hotter
flame than If they were separated.
1--WE must not fancy that God has a
Partially for a little meeting. or that
there is any virtue in a small mum.
ber."-Bruce.
VS.. Fl, %. Bishop Warren suggests
that the preceding discourse on for
giveness had so stirred up Peter that
he put il into practice. Found fault
with often, as impetuous men are apt
to be, he asks how long he is to bear
It, The rabbis said forgiveness was
to be exercised three times" Compare
Amos pa and Job 1929 (margin).
VS.. 1927. A Contract Between Two
Debts. %. "a certain king, which
would take account Of" Better as
r. ", make a reckoning with" his
servants, his officers, as governors or
mobiles who we're farmers of taxes
i v. "a. zone was brought unto him."
No debtor would come of his own ac-
cord. lowed him 10000 talents"
According to the Oxford Cyclopedlc
Concordance, a talent of silver in
New Testament times equaled 5000
deHarii (the pence of the PARALLEL
So that a talent was about 1870, and
the 10000 talents 100000. Harper's
Classical Dictionary makes the
amount little over s10,000,000
practioaI Annlfcatfon