Genesis 50:15–21

God’s Good Purposes

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they

said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the

evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph,

saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to

Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and

their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ And now, please forgive

the transgression of the servants of fthe God of your father.”

Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came

and gfell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your

servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for ham I in the

place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but iGod

meant it for good, to bring it about that many people2 should be

kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; jI will provide for

you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke

kindly to them.

Romans 14:1–12

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to

quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything,

while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who

eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who

abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has

welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of

another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And

he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while

another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced

in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in

honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord,

since she gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains,

abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none

of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we

live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then,

whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this

end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the

dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do

you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the

judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every

tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an

account of himself to God.

Matthew 18:21–35

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often ywill my

brother sin against me, and I forgive him? zAs 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 ato settle accounts with his servants.7 24 When he

began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him bten

thousand ctalents.8 25 dAnd since he could not pay, his master

ordered him eto be sold, with his wife and fchildren and all that he

had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant9 gfell 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 dforgave him the debt. 28 But when that same

servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed

him a hundred hdenarii,10 and seizing him, he began to choke him,

saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and

pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’

30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay

the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place,

they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their

master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him

and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt

because you pleaded with me. 33 iAnd should not you have had

mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 jAnd in

anger his master delivered him to the jailers,11 kuntil he should pay

all his debt. 35 lSo also my heavenly Father will do to every one of

you, if you do not forgive your brother mfrom your heart.”

FORGIVENESS AS A WAY OF LIFE

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often ywill my

brother sin against me, and I forgive him? zAs many as seven

times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but

seventy-seven times.

Hold on Jesus – I did not sign up for this forgiveness

business. What that person did to me really hurt. My spouse

abandoned me, cheat on me, what my child said to me broke

my heart, I can’t forgive me neighbor, I feel so broken in my

spirit – will he/she ever be able to forgive me? Beloved we

stand knee deep in the waters of sin today. Where the depths of

unforgiven sin laps over the shelter of our boat. We want to

follow Jesus but the regret, pain, and challenge to forgive as Christ

has forgiven us seems too great a cross to bear. “Lord indeed how

often must I forgive? Don’t you see what has been done to me.”

The Lord responds, “My child your sins are forgiven. I have bore

your sins to the cross. Truly your sins are forgiven and

remembered no more. Do not become consumed like the one

who refused to show mercy. 35 lSo also my heavenly Father will do

to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother mfrom your

heart.”

Beloved we stand at a crossroads. Will we live out the

command to take up our crosses and follow Him – even in

this command to forgive as we are forgiven? Do we mean

this? Can we forgive and truly let go and let God have the

power in this area of our lives no matter how painful it may

be. I stand with you in this challenge. Is it easy to forgive

others who have hurt us? By no means.

In the small catechism Martin Luther gives us such guidance: And

forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against

us. What does this mean?--Answer. We pray in this petition that

our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins, nor deny such

petitions on account of them; for we are worthy of none of the

things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them; but that

He would grant them all to us by grace; for we daily sin much, and

indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So will we verily, on our

part, also heartily forgive and also readily do good to those

who sin against us.

So what does this living forgiveness look like? How do we leave

and live out a legacy of forgiveness? Come beloved and listen to

the Word. Be challenged by what Jesus offers and truly never be

the same again.

1. In the face of the challenge to forgive – surprise your

adversary with GRACE.

a. Live out the Joseph principal: 18 His brothers also came

and gfell down before him and said, “Behold, we are

your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear,

for ham I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant

evil against me, but iGod meant it for good, to bring

it about that many people2 should be kept alive, as they

are today. 21 So do not fear; jI will provide for you and

your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke

kindly to them.

b. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you,

why do you despise your brother?

c. For God so loved even your enemy, even the one

who hurt you, even the one you find hard to forgive

that He gave himself up on the Holy Cross – that

ALL who believe in Him would not perish but have

life eternal! For God did not send His Son into the

world to condemn the world but the world through

Him might have LIFE. Walk together into new life

today!

2. They will KNOW that we are Christians by our LOVE.

a. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to

himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we

die, we die to the Lord.

b. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You

wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you

pleaded with me. 33 iAnd should not you have had mercy

on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

c. We have a CHOICE today. How will you live? Will

you forgive when you are given the opportunity?

3. Be ready to give an account of your forgiveness.

a. 35 lSo also my heavenly Father will do to every one of

you, if you do not forgive your brother mfrom your

heart.”

b. As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and

every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of

us will give an account of himself to God.

c. Lord God, we have known sorrow and suffering. We

have sinned and often strayed. As you are merciful, do

not judge us according to our wrongdoing. But judge us

according to the life and death that Jesus lived in our

place, and forgive us. Help us correct our sinful ways.

And remind us of the joy we will have in the mansion

you have prepared for us in heaven. Amen.

d. In a dream, Martin Luther found himself being attacked

by Satan. The devil unrolled a long scroll containing a

list of Luther's sins, and held it before him. On reaching

the end of the scroll Luther asked the devil, "Is that all?"

"No," came the reply, and a second scroll was thrust in

front of him. Then, after a second came a third. But

now the devil had no more. "You've forgotten

something," Luther exclaimed triumphantly. "Quickly

write on each of them, 'The blood of Jesus Christ God's

son cleanses us from all sins.'"

e. If you have decided to follow Jesus how then will

you live? Will forgiveness guide your way? Will you

be merciful? What will define your life?