Forgiveness and Stewardship
Matthew 18:21-35
November 16, 2025 anno Domini
Who among you, when you have sinned, doesn’t love forgiveness? If you love it so much for yourself, why is it so hard to forgive others? That’s behind Peter’s question to Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Seven is a godly number. God only worked six days on creation and then He rested. Peter was one upping God. He would work to forgive not six, but seven times. Seven times is a lot. If you informed your husband that the garbage was full seven times and he did not take it out, even when the Vikings were losing by 30 points, your forgiveness would have reached its limit. Seven is generous.
Even though the Lord created numbers and math He isn’t into counting . He is merciful – being merciful means you don’t count. He answers Peter, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Now, our Lord’s Words are hyperbole. He’s exaggerating to make a point. He does not intend Peter to create a spreadsheet, list his fellow disciples and keep track of their sins. Oh, Judas, you’re at 435. Only 55 more sins and I’m done forgiving you. And, Andrew, my brother, you’ve sinned against me more than anyone. In 10 more sins we’re done.
Jesus is teaching Peter, not math, but mercy. And the the test is – are you going to act like your God or not? You’re God’s child because God does not count your sins against you, so are you going to count or not count? Are you going to be like your Father in heaven or like your father below – the Devil loves to count. He loves to hold on to your sins, remember them, and throw them back in your face again and again.
To instruct Peter in forgiveness Jesus tells a parable about debt – a parable about a King and two debtors. One debtor was in serious trouble. The other debtor probably could be debt free in no time with a little help from Dave Ramsey. The first debtor owed the king 10,000 talents. A talent was 20 years wages. So that’s 200,000 year’s wages the man owed. The median US salary is around $84,000 so his debt was around $16,800,000,000 dollars. Again, Jesus is using hyperbole. No one except the US government could be in that much debt.
That unfathomable debt is your sin. Every one of your sins including the sin you’re born with is against God. He created you and gives you everything and everyone in your life. When you sin it’s always against Him and that means you owe Him. You broke what He gave you and justice demands that He be paid back. But you cannot. Even if you would stop sinning right now (and you can’t), you could not atone for your sins. You can do nothing to alleviate that debt. You are spiritually and morally bankrupt before the righteous and holy God.
You’re as helpless as that first debtor, who was destined to be locked away forever, with no chance of parole. The wages of sin is an eternal death sentence. You can make false promises just like that debtor – I’ll pay it all back, I’ll do better, but there’s no way for you to undo your sin.
Then the parable does what parables do – there’s an unexpected turn. The Kingdom of heaven doesn’t work like the kingdoms of this world. The King has mercy and forgives the man. Out of pity for him, the King released the servant and forgave him his debt. There’s something to remember here. Forgiveness isn’t free. It cost the King 16,800,000,000 dollars of lost revenue. The King paid for forgiveness. The debtor received it at no cost to himself.
Then, this parable of heaven takes another unexpected turn and returns to earth. The much-forgiven debtor encounters a fellow debtor who owed him 100 denarii – for comparison’s sake about 1/3 of a year’s wages. You would assume that a much-forgiven man would forgive a man who owes him so little, but he doesn’t. You know why? Before God we know our only hope is mercy, but before our neighbor our old sinful self wants to count and calculate and get what we deserve. With our own sins we know we need a merciful God. With other people’s sins we want to be a just God who gets paid back.
The point of the parable is that you are the most forgiven person you know. God knows all your sins. Christ died for all your sins. Your debt, which you could never pay is forgiven, by the great price God paid in offering up His Son for the sins of the world. The person who sins against you has a few sins, maybe they’re really annoying and repetitive because he is your husband — but are your own sins not annoying and repetitive before God? And what has He done? He has paid the price and forgiven you. He redeemer you not with gold or silver, but with the holy and precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Go and do likewise and remember. Forgiveness is costly. When you forgive another sinner it’s going to cost you – your anger, your right to bring it up again, your need for fairness.
Now, I’m going to change course in the sermon. If you’re a visitor you can check out of the sermon. The rest of the sermon is for Redeemer members only. I’m going to steer this text down a road it wasn’t meant to travel – the stewardship road. This parable is not about the use of money. It is about the abundant forgiveness you have received and the meager forgiveness you’re expected to give. However, the illustration Jesus uses to teach forgiveness is entirely about money, because money is something near and dear to the hearts of sinners, including you. I’m pretty sure this sermon would have received an F in seminary, but the lesson of God’s abundant forgiveness is also true of His abundance of earth gifts to you.
Today, you have received a commitment card. It’s different than the card I handed out a month ago. That’s why I told you not to fill it out then – some of you didn’t listen. I forgive you.
There are two sides to the commitment card. One has to do with money. The other with the talents and time that God has given to you as an individual. Each of you has received an abundance of gifts from the Lord. There is nothing you have that is not from His gracious hand – from His Fatherly and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in you. Today, on behalf of Redeemer, , as your Pastor, I’m asking you to act like your Father in heaven and be gracious and merciful.
Now let’s be perfectly clear. Your offerings don’t earn you forgiveness. Your volunteering for every position at Redeemer doesn’t earn God’s favor. Christ earns God’s favor. Christ is the reason God is gracious and forgives you. You could give 100% of your income to the Lord and it wouldn’t get you into heaven – and that would be sinful since you wouldn’t be looking after your own needs. The only thing that takes you out of God’s Kingdom is unbelief – which is shown in not forgiving others, not acting like the God who redeemed you.
You have been given much, so I’m asking you to give. First, I am asking you to calculate what percentage of your income you are giving to the Lord. There’s an insert in the bulletin to help you if you’re not good at math. Giving a percentage is Biblical. It is a way in which you leave your offerings in the Lord’s hand. Whatever He gives you, you return a set portion to Him. Once you figure out the percentage, I am asking you to sacrifice and to give more than you are giving. Maybe you raise it by 1% if you’re giving 8%. Maybe you raise it by 5% if you’re only giving a few percent. I learned this a few years ago from another pastor – your giving should affect the way you live. It should affect how often you eat out, how many trips you go on, how often you get another vehicle. Like forgiveness, it should cost you.
Secondly, I’m asking that you fill out the other side of the commitment card. If you are able, I would ask that you would commit to serving at Redeemer in some way. Indicate some of the skills and gifts you have so that we know what we can ask you to help with. A summary of the duties and time these positions require will be in your mailbox in a few weeks. Once again, I’m asking for a sacrifice on your part. If you’re not volunteering in any way at Redeemer, and you are able, please indicate your willingness to serve.
You don’t need to return the card today. You can return it in your offering next week. Or if you’ve done the math – you can return it today and offer your sacrifices.
Jesus taught Peter not to measure, but rather to live in the abundance of the forgiveness he had received and to forgive his brother even when it cost him dearly. That’s also good wisdom for stewardship. Our Lord has given us an abundance – just look in the parking lot, look in your closets, look in your garage. I pray that you would look at what God has given you and then give sacrificially. That’s how the Kingdom of heaven works. That’s the God you have. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
I will try to give more