13 Pentecost, Cycle A proper 19, September 14, 2014
Genesis 50:15-21 Psalm 103:8-13
Romans 14:1-12 Matthew 18:21-35
There is a cliche which goes, "To err is human but to forgive is divine." Which is to say that we believe that we tap into higher power assistance to accomplish the experience of forgiveness. But even a profound cliche cannot make every event of forgiveness equal and so one should not over-simplify "forgiveness." Each instance of forgiveness has its own uniqueness. Certainly a parent might find it easier to forgive a young child who greatly lacks in experience and so when a degree of culpability is not imputed, forgiveness can seem to come easier. It is harder to forgive the offenses of the adult variety when it seems there is more willfulness and accountability.
Today's lesson provides us with some teaching insights on forgiveness. One of the greatest forgiveness story is an event when forgiveness fulfilled boyhood dreams but also was an overwhelming event of providence.
It is the story of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Jacob, you know the guy whose other name was Israel. Those who wrote the prelude of the people of Israel traced the origins to the patriarchs and Jacob is the last of the patriarchs. Jacob had two wives, both sisters. Jacob loved the younger sister Rachael, but was tricked by Laban into having to marry Rachael's older sister Leah first. Poor Leah, the lesser loved wife was compensated by being the one who gave Jacob the most children. Rachael was finally able to have two sons, Joseph and Benjamin who were Daddy's favorites. The young Joseph knew of this favoritism and seemed to flaunt it in front of his older half brothers who came to deeply resent their cheeky little brother. Joseph was given a coat of many color which he paraded in front of his brothers and he told his brother his dreams about some day being the one to whom they would bow. So the older brothers staged the death of Joseph and sold him to slave traders who took him to Egypt. After some set backs as a servant in the house of Potiphar and from spending some time in prison, he came to the Pharaoh's attention as one who could interpret dreams. He went from being the interpreter of dreams to being second to the Pharaoh and in charge of managing the property and agriculture production during the seven years of good crops and the seven years of famine. During the famine, Jacob sent his sons to get grain from Egypt. And Joseph recognized his older brothers even while they did not recognize him. Joseph played with his hidden identity until the brothers had to bow before him and beg for their lives. And so the dreams of Joseph had come to be fulfilled and his brothers were bowing before him and he could not stand his ruse any longer. In his tears he identified himself to his brothers and forgave them for selling him into slavery and in this act of forgiveness, he confessed that the providence of God had been involved in the terrible detour of his life which involved a long separation from his father. In the event of forgiving his brothers, he also confessed that he had been placed there by God to save his father Jacob and all of Jacob's family. So Joseph was the savior of Israel at a very crucial time, even though this salvation also accounts for how the people of Israel became entrenched in Egypt where they eventually became slaves after the reputation of Joseph was no longer remembered after his death.
Forgiveness as providential. Forgiveness can be providential in turning the lives of people around. Our society has become well known for building prisons and prisons have become quite a private sector industry. What we have lost is the providence of forgiveness in the accomplishment of reconciliation. There are some countries who use the reconciliation process for many convicted criminals and the statistics for a reconciliation program show less recidivism and less expense because of fewer incarcerations. Stories of reconciliation are many, such as the young boy who broke into a garage and stole and committed some vandalism. Instead of being sent to juvenile detention he was enrolled the reconciliation process. The end result is that the young boy did restitution for the woman whose house he had vandalized and he ended up becoming like a son to the woman. She ended up paying for his college education and they have had a life long relationship. Providential forgiveness can result in reconciliation and redemption. This is what the Gospel is all about.
Perhaps you and I can think about providential forgiveness in our own lives when people gave us a second chance and thereby changed the direction of our lives.
We have the Gospel scenario and the parable which illustrates the reciprocity of receiving forgiveness and practicing forgiveness. If the work of Jesus is the work of reconciling people to God and people with each other, the giving and receiving of forgiveness is a most important dynamic of life. And we should not minimize the difficulty of this dynamic, even as we confess that there must be an event of divine grace for forgiveness to happen.
Peter asked, "Jesus, how many times do I have to forgive my brother, seven times?" Jesus said, "Not seven times but seventy seven or seventy times seven." The words of Jesus indicate to us that if we are in the business of counting the sins of others and trying to set the limits of our forgiveness then we are lacking the Gospel attitude of reconciliation.
The reciprocity of forgiving and being forgiven is further illustrated in the parable which Jesus told. If we are willing to accept forgiveness but not willing to forgive others then we are living damnable lives. Reconciliation occurs when this reciprocity happens between being forgiven and practicing forgiveness.
The practice of reconciliation and forgiveness is not simply "a get out of jail free" card; reconciliation and forgiveness are a providential event within a process of events which include accountability, acknowledgement of guilt, amendment of life, reparation and ultimately restored fellowship.
To err is human; to forgive is divine. In the practice of forgiveness we participate with the divine grace as we admit together that there always needs to be a tolerating grace for ourselves not yet being the more excellent people we are yet called to be.
Let us take on the roles of presidents and monarchs who have the privilege of clemency. We take on the kingly role when we become the people who facilitate the event of forgiveness. Let us rise to embrace our role in the process of reconciliation, which involves the practice of forgiveness.
Let us today at this Eucharist say afresh with new commitment the petition of the Lord's Prayer: And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Amen.
Today's lesson provides us with some teaching insights on forgiveness. One of the greatest forgiveness story is an event when forgiveness fulfilled boyhood dreams but also was an overwhelming event of providence.
It is the story of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Jacob, you know the guy whose other name was Israel. Those who wrote the prelude of the people of Israel traced the origins to the patriarchs and Jacob is the last of the patriarchs. Jacob had two wives, both sisters. Jacob loved the younger sister Rachael, but was tricked by Laban into having to marry Rachael's older sister Leah first. Poor Leah, the lesser loved wife was compensated by being the one who gave Jacob the most children. Rachael was finally able to have two sons, Joseph and Benjamin who were Daddy's favorites. The young Joseph knew of this favoritism and seemed to flaunt it in front of his older half brothers who came to deeply resent their cheeky little brother. Joseph was given a coat of many color which he paraded in front of his brothers and he told his brother his dreams about some day being the one to whom they would bow. So the older brothers staged the death of Joseph and sold him to slave traders who took him to Egypt. After some set backs as a servant in the house of Potiphar and from spending some time in prison, he came to the Pharaoh's attention as one who could interpret dreams. He went from being the interpreter of dreams to being second to the Pharaoh and in charge of managing the property and agriculture production during the seven years of good crops and the seven years of famine. During the famine, Jacob sent his sons to get grain from Egypt. And Joseph recognized his older brothers even while they did not recognize him. Joseph played with his hidden identity until the brothers had to bow before him and beg for their lives. And so the dreams of Joseph had come to be fulfilled and his brothers were bowing before him and he could not stand his ruse any longer. In his tears he identified himself to his brothers and forgave them for selling him into slavery and in this act of forgiveness, he confessed that the providence of God had been involved in the terrible detour of his life which involved a long separation from his father. In the event of forgiving his brothers, he also confessed that he had been placed there by God to save his father Jacob and all of Jacob's family. So Joseph was the savior of Israel at a very crucial time, even though this salvation also accounts for how the people of Israel became entrenched in Egypt where they eventually became slaves after the reputation of Joseph was no longer remembered after his death.
Forgiveness as providential. Forgiveness can be providential in turning the lives of people around. Our society has become well known for building prisons and prisons have become quite a private sector industry. What we have lost is the providence of forgiveness in the accomplishment of reconciliation. There are some countries who use the reconciliation process for many convicted criminals and the statistics for a reconciliation program show less recidivism and less expense because of fewer incarcerations. Stories of reconciliation are many, such as the young boy who broke into a garage and stole and committed some vandalism. Instead of being sent to juvenile detention he was enrolled the reconciliation process. The end result is that the young boy did restitution for the woman whose house he had vandalized and he ended up becoming like a son to the woman. She ended up paying for his college education and they have had a life long relationship. Providential forgiveness can result in reconciliation and redemption. This is what the Gospel is all about.
Perhaps you and I can think about providential forgiveness in our own lives when people gave us a second chance and thereby changed the direction of our lives.
We have the Gospel scenario and the parable which illustrates the reciprocity of receiving forgiveness and practicing forgiveness. If the work of Jesus is the work of reconciling people to God and people with each other, the giving and receiving of forgiveness is a most important dynamic of life. And we should not minimize the difficulty of this dynamic, even as we confess that there must be an event of divine grace for forgiveness to happen.
Peter asked, "Jesus, how many times do I have to forgive my brother, seven times?" Jesus said, "Not seven times but seventy seven or seventy times seven." The words of Jesus indicate to us that if we are in the business of counting the sins of others and trying to set the limits of our forgiveness then we are lacking the Gospel attitude of reconciliation.
The reciprocity of forgiving and being forgiven is further illustrated in the parable which Jesus told. If we are willing to accept forgiveness but not willing to forgive others then we are living damnable lives. Reconciliation occurs when this reciprocity happens between being forgiven and practicing forgiveness.
The practice of reconciliation and forgiveness is not simply "a get out of jail free" card; reconciliation and forgiveness are a providential event within a process of events which include accountability, acknowledgement of guilt, amendment of life, reparation and ultimately restored fellowship.
To err is human; to forgive is divine. In the practice of forgiveness we participate with the divine grace as we admit together that there always needs to be a tolerating grace for ourselves not yet being the more excellent people we are yet called to be.
Let us take on the roles of presidents and monarchs who have the privilege of clemency. We take on the kingly role when we become the people who facilitate the event of forgiveness. Let us rise to embrace our role in the process of reconciliation, which involves the practice of forgiveness.
Let us today at this Eucharist say afresh with new commitment the petition of the Lord's Prayer: And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Amen.
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