nlat=lale mttaer) —

FORGIVENESS - Matt. 18:21- Communion) Meditation 4/4/65

The principle of forgiveness has always played a primary role in
man's relatienship to God--and man's relationship to his fellow man,
—— nl rete

In fact, it might be said that civilization became a possibility when

men began to forgive each other, for the opposite principle--

the principle of retaliation leads only to chaos.

Judaism of the first century had its presecriptions for forgive-

ness as it did for every other natter. | According to the Rabbi's a2
Ba lc Sa

righteous man was required to forgive an offender theee times. | Alter

the fourth offense he could be justly punished .\ against this background

of the going religious formula we hear Peter question Jesus “Lora,

how often shall my brother slen against me and I forgive him? As many

as seven snene*) You can see that Peter was actually being very mag-

nanimous. \The law required him to forgive 3 times, but he was willing
aa

/
to forgive more than twice that number of-tintes .\ Jesus answeré@, ~~

"T go not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven") prefaced a

parable that spelled out just how far a man should go, and how very

deeply human forgiveness was related to the forgiveness of God.

preier: ——

One difficulty here, however, is that when we talk about forgiveness

we are essentially bringing in a member of other themes: sin, atone-

ee ee

ment, reconciliation, most of which we have been thinking about ove”

—

the past several weeks \ Forgiveness imolies that there is something

that needs to be forgiven, | In the case of God's forgiveness-——= AV)

offense committed against him.\this offense, or continual offending,

cies:

is called Sin and it's existence has been proclaimed by men of faith

from time toseo#ier. \ Mon of all religions, have always seen God sd

Oride ss Ove Se ,
gud ere arsipi ks We Crean. aan\ our shu

4 e, |
lg no way out) thit_is, unless God himself forgives us and accepts us
even is we Are,

This, of course, is what Geax is good ab¢ the news or

i

Shinde tinnity | that God dogs forgsive--that he as

4.

forgiven by ticing

that his selfyinitiated forgiveness

|

te eenled by tne death of Jesus Christ on the lerces.

—

our offsucivenese upon himself;
zo LVenes :

ihue Par Foacve deseribed, ver, briePls. ine
ae —tF ee

—y

T have heen sable te do so without being at alt anecifile or mentioning

anything that is tangible and common. \ Perhapd this is another ex-

}

v

pression of our sin. | we don't hesltate te talk ang think philosoohically

and szeademioally about goa..\ we ean even bring ourselves to contress

gereril terms, and toe believe in griginal sin, so lons

don't Have fa be too snecific.

———

Jesus however, wee mast unohillesonhical dnd most specirie. | when
it

he telkes shaot sin he meant the wears one mad

—

:
|
whien cwoewe oaboof Ris sin ausainet ont \ Sad When ne ibesd whoaut

— Tr .
i
we wae eo oeb tad a floel mage Ta. ee Maat be Tp Uo Wi tale
—~
rau MoE.

rd
a
5
—~
a)
a
+
3
~
——<<—
os
tas
C
i}
a
1

=] .

God's forgiveness in Jesus christ. \ But the Chureh is aslo the

community of the forgiving; those who forgive because they have been
See boards

‘orgixer ;| those who accept others as they have gsxperienced God's fer-
CS — par. —

cc e i j :
coe BEALE. those who pray ("rorgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors }

As WAR COMMUAC, let v= be Wet Commun Ly ~ acceplins fed)

= \. Christ = oon & extending nek Soy

Torqwen ess un

“het Taek es _ each oer .