Scripture text: Matthew 18:21-35, 'God demands forgiving one another within witnessing paschal faith community'.
In 1709, the poet Alexander Pope wrote these words, "To err is human, to forgive is divine". In today's Gospel reading Matthew 18:21, the apostle Peter came to Jesus asking this question about forgiveness. "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus responded, "I say not unto you seven times, but seventy times seven"(Matthew 18:22).
In Matthew 18:23-26, Jesus then proceeded to explain the nature of God's command, that believers within witnessing paschal faith communities, must forgive one another. He used the example (parable) of a king, granting relief from repayment of a large monetary debt, to explain not only God's demand, but also the Godhead's provision and empowerment of believers to practice unlimited forgiving one another, when they have occasion to feel resentment against one another.
Throughout his ministry, the historical Jesus always stressed his absolute faith in, total dependence on, and unity with the indwelling and incarnate Godhead (John 10:30). In John 5:19, as Messiah Jesus declared, "Very truly, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. In John 5:30 Jesus again declared, "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me".
Now love, grace, forgiveness and truth are the divine initiatives and attributes of the indwelling Christ of Faith, God's image and likeness, in the spiritual body of the historical Jesus and all persons (Genesis 1:26-27, John 1:14-18, Colossians 1:26-27, 2:9). Through faith, humility, obedience and following the works and judgment of indwelling Godhead, the historical Jesus passed over from life on earth, in the mind of the flesh, into a new and glorified life with the Godhead, in the mind of the spirit. In this Paschal Mystery, his life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus modeled God's metanoia model for effective kingdom living on earth, as it is in heaven.
In the Gospel of Christ and kingdom living, the human initiative of repentance and the divine initiative of forgiveness are closely related (Mark 1:14-15). Repentance and forgiveness are foundational steps in God's universal, metanoia model, for mankind's deliverance from bondage and slavery to sin, in the mind of the flesh. Repentance and forgiveness are also essential in mankind passing over into the freedom of God's love, through the indwelling and incarnate Christ of Faith, in the mind of the spirit.
In Matthew 6:12, Jesus taught his disciples and his followers to pray, "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors". In John 17:21, Jesus prayed this prayer for his disciples and all believers. "That they may all be one, as you Father are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us". In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone wants to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me".
Within witnessing paschal faith communities, in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, to err is human, to forgive is divine. Matthew 16:21 declares that from the time Jesus told his disciples to tell no man that he was the Christ, he began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes and be killed, and on the third day be raised from the dead".
Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him saying, 'God forbid it Lord! This must never happen to you." But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but human things"(Matthew 16:22). In the Gospel of Christ, the mind of the flesh, was discerned and described by Jesus as Satan, and the mind of the spirit, has been discerned and described as the mind of Christ.
When Jesus was offended by Peter's rejection of his description of his experience of the Paschal Mystery, Jesus did not get angry, reject or condemn Peter for his erroneous thoughts, attitudes,words and actions. In forgiveness, love, grace and truth, Jesus reminded his disciple Peter about his need to repent. He made it clear to Peter that he needed to change his thoughts, attitudes, words and reactions about the Paschal Mystery, because they were based in the mind of the flesh. Jesus lovingly challenged Peter to repent and instead, center his thoughts, attitudes, words and reactions to the Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit.
With God's help and dependent on God's divine initiative, Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups discern and embrace their duty to be honest, forgiving and merciful to brethren, who offend them, within their witnessing paschal faith community, and within the universal body of Christ, throughout our planet. In faith, humility and obedience, they steadfastly follow the historical Jesus in declaring and living the Paschal Mystery. They follow the historical Jesus in discerning and reminding offending brethren about their need to repent, when their offending, and erroneous thoughts, attitudes, words and actions, are not based in the mind of the spirit, but in the mind of the flesh (Satan).
No comments:
Post a Comment