Relections on "The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant: Matthew 18:21-35
My notes for a teaching at a local men's group.
Some
questions we may want to ask ourselves about “Forgiveness” or just some
thoughts for further Reflection!
At HOME…Alone!.
1. Have you had good or bad experiences with forgiveness?
2. Are you in the habit of forgiving
people for ways in which they have hurt
you?
3. Have others forgiven you for the ways
you have hurt them?
4. Do you recall any particular
experiences of receiving God’s forgiveness?
5. Who are the people in your life that
you need to forgive?
6. How do you see the effects of
unforgiveness in your life?
7. What are you fears about forgiving
certain people?
8. Do we have a list in our minds of
people who have wronged us, mistreated us, hurt us or mistreated us?
9. Sometimes there is no “list”, but a
undercurrent or “bitterness” in our lives…like a low grade fever, 100 degrees,
not 103. Just an uneasy feeling that can poison our relationships….that
eventually can erupt into some terrible actions….”As we think in our heart…so
are we.”
10. Sometimes we are like a frog in the
water…increasing the temp…and we don’t know what’s happening…we know what happened
to the frog!
11.On our way to church…spouse, kids in
car…
12.Matt: 18 is all about relationships…among
brothers…and how to deal with sin.
13.Then Peter asks How many times to
forgive?
14.Especially about his “brother” Present relationship.
15.All about relationships.
16.All about communication
17.All about forgiveness.
18.Then JOY, Circles.
19.Eisenhower and his method. Crumpled
paper in wastebasket.
20.He then forgot, but did he.
21.We can do the same.
22.How big is our wastebasket?
23.Are we really forgiving, or just
forgetting for the moment…and the wastebasket get fuller and fuller. …Then we
can get a paper shredder…smaller pieces…over a lifetime….what is happening?
24.Our families, churches.
25.Forgiveness. Seven times or seventy x
seven….It’s really unlimited forgiveness.
26.We are to overflow with forgiveness.
27.The reason I forgive is because of
the Lord’s forgiving me, not because of the person who hurt me!
28.It is impossible to receive
forgiveness from God and NOT give it to another.
29.An unforgiving spirit. Do we have one
and maybe don’t even know it?
30.S.I McMillen in his book None of
These Diseases, says,
"The moment I start hating a man I become his slave. He even controls my
thoughts, I can’t escape his tyrannical grasp on my minds. When the waiter
serves me steak it might as well be stale bread and water. The man I hate will
not permit me to enjoy it.” Obviously as Christian men, we don’t or won’t admit
that we hate someone. What is hate?
31.Dislike or….?
32.Some bottom line thoughts.
33.The source of forgiveness is Gods
forgiveness.
34.Until we see ourselves as truly and
deeply sinful, we will see nothing else clearly. Wow!
35.The refusal to forgive is costly.
36.What did your sin do to God?
37.Think about it!
38.Not a once and for all event.
39.Need to forgive daily.
40.The secret of forgiveness is grace.
41.Grace received means grace given.
42.“Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Eph 4:32
43.Forgiveness is the great evidence
that we have become new creatures in Christ and that the Spirit of Christ lives
within us.
44.The cross is where we receive forgiveness
and where we learn to forgive.
45.Who do we need to bring to the
cross,? Spouse, parent, child, friend, neighbor, pastor, one of the men here?
