Pastor John Wright

How does one command forgiveness? How can you command even yourself to forgive? You can order someone to â€œkiss and make upâ€ or â€œto shake hands and let it go.â€ But forgiveness is not an external act; it is an internal virtue. Forgiveness is trickier than we often thinkâ€“ what is the line between forgiveness and co-dependency? Tough, tough issues. A whole area of philosophical, even psychological studies, of forgiveness have arisen in the past 10 years. Interestingly, theology has remained, not entirely, but largely on the sidelines. The church has been much more interested in psychological adjustment to the world or throwing off oppression and justice than forgiveness. When forgiveness issues are treated, they are often treated in relation to these two human realities of our age, rather than from the inner core of the faith revealed to the saints.

Yet the opportunity for forgiveness remains one of the most pressing realities of our lives. Not a day or hardly even an hour goes by when the opportunity for forgiveness does not arise. If we begin at the Gospel, the readings this week take us into forgiveness; then the Psalms reading (we usually donâ€™t read from the deuterocanonical works as part of our worship, though the readings may be profitable for us); and finish with the reading from Romans 14.

Matthew 18:21-35

What is the relationship between Peterâ€™s question and Jesusâ€™s answer â€“ both the initial statement and especially the story afterwards? Why would the question be pressing for Peter?

To whom does the story compare the kingdom of heaven? To whom is Peter (and by extension, us the readers) compared? How does the master learn about how the one slave treated the other? What is the result? With what action of the king does Jesus tell the disciples to look forward as a result of the story if they donâ€™t learn from it? What was the fault of the slave?

Psalm 103:1-13

Spend some time complaining together about, say, three tons of rotten green tomatoes stuck in a church parking lot (purely theoretical, mind you). See how many different angles from which you can complain. Now, read Ps. 103:1-13. What do those complaints sound like? Why? According to Psalm 103, why exactly should we â€œbless the Lordâ€? What does such an awareness do with something like forgiveness?

Romans 14:5-12

Paul here seems to still be talking about relationships between Jews and Gentile believers. What are the real issues? Why would such thing be a reason for conflict? What is Paulâ€™s solution?

Why would Paul, in such a context, go into a discourse about life and death? What happens to minor things when faced with the issues of life and death? How is Jesus â€œthe Lord of the dead and the livingâ€? How does the final judgment of God make things look differently?

After reading the passages, how do the passages, by the Spiritâ€™s presence, allow us to embody and live the forgiveness sought in the passages? What are the conditions for which forgiveness takes place? Can you force yourself to forgive? How does one then offer forgiveness to others? What is different from forgiveness and â€œwhateverâ€ or denial?
Have a wonderful eve