Sermon on 22 June 2025 by Ps Melissa Quah at the Faith Community Baptist Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErBLnU8VV2I
Background:
Have we carried something for so long that we have forgotten how heavy it is? Imagine if the weight is not on the back but in heart: rejection, hurt, guilt, which later may lead to unforgiveness.
Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35
Peter asked Jesus a question how many times must a person be forgiven, is 7 time enough? Jesus answered 70 times 7 times. He then told a parable that's describes how we should have mercy on others because God has forgiven us.
There are 2 assumptions
1. The problem lies with other. It is possible we have a blind spot, that we have a part to play in this
2. There is a limit on forgiveness. Peter thinks he is already generous, because the current teaching is 3 times. Regardless, Jesus says that there is no limit.
We find freedom in forgiveness when we
1. Experience God's forgiveness
In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the King forgave the debt of 20 bags of gold. The King represents God who forgave our sins - we cannot pay back our sin. God did not just delay the payment or give us a discount - God waived our debt completely. We will not know the values of the gift unless we know the effort or the sacrifices
In our lives, we will mess up - that is a given. That is why we need the mercies of God, we need the forgiveness of God to help set us free.
2. Extend our forgiveness
After being forgiven of all his debt, the first servant threw his fellow servant to jail for a smaller amount. We harbor unforgiveness to others even after we have received God's forgiveness.
This may due to misconceptions of what forgiveness look like:
A. Forgiving someone is optional - this is a command from God
B. Forgiveness is based on how I feel
C. Forgiveness is a one-time event - it is a process that you need to release again and again
D. Forgiveness means forgetting what has happened. It is not pretending that it did not happen...we remember to build healthy boundaries. It is not restoration (which may not happen).
E. Forgiving someone is whitewashing their wrong. We allow God to be the vindicator - God will be the judge and we are not trapped in forgiveness .
If we lose joy, peace, and freedom, we need to let go. The best way to heal is to choose forgiveness. By forgiving others, we allow the relationship to move forward. We might also find that with forgiveness, we allow ourselves to be free.
