FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons We just heard a story of forgiveness, now for one of unforgiveness and its dire warning!

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons A Story of Unforgiveness Matthew 18:21-35

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Matthew 18: Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons The talent in this parable was worth about 6,000 denarii, so that one debt is 600,000 times as large as the other.

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons More significantly, 10,000 (a myriad) was the highest Greek numeral, and a talent the largest unit of currency, so that 10,000 talents was the largest easily described debt.

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons For comparison, the combined annual tribute of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea around this time was only 600 talents and one denarius was a day’s wages, so that 10,000 talents would be about 200,000 years’ wages

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons A Story of Unforgiveness Jesus Asks Two Questions

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons A Story of Unforgiveness Has Anyone Ever Done Anything to Hurt You?

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons A Story of Unforgiveness Have You Ever Done Anything that has Hurt Another?

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.” Thomas Fuller

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons A Story of Unforgiveness Unforgiveness may be the very sin that keeps more from Heaven than any other!

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Two Prisons Unforgiveness Creates Two Prisons

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Two Prisons #1 The Place We Put Those Who Trespass Against Us! A Debtors Prison

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Two Prisons #1 The Place We Put Those Who Trespass Against Us! A Place of Separation!

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Two Prisons #2 The Place We Put Ourselves! The Tormentors!

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Two Prisons The Tormentors “I will forgive, but not forget!”

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Two Prisons The Tormentors “I have a right to be mad!”

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Two Prisons The Tormentors “Things will never be the same!”

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons “It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tired into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons A Warning & A Promise It is a Sin that brings its Own Punishment A Self-Inflicted Wound!

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:12-13

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons A Warning & A Promise A Grace that is Greater than All My Sin A Greater Redemption!

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B. Smedes

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons “As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation -- either to react with bitterness…

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons …or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons So…. …once again God puts us in a place of Choice

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons So…....the Tormentors or …a Greater Redemption!

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Which Shall It Be?

FORGIVENESS Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons Forgiving Others: A Tale of Two Prisons