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Readings: Matthew 18:21‑35; Philippians 1:3‑11; Micah 6:6‑8
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Debt. We love it and we hate it. It is occasionally necessary because of the twists and turns of life, but it has become our constant companion. For we have been ensnared by its seductive embrace, and fallen in love with its easy ways. And thus, we all know how unforgiving debt lenders are. They may give you occasional interest or payment relief not wanting you to default on what you owe them, but they will not forgive your debt.
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Debt. We love it and we hate it. It is occasionally necessary because of the twists and turns of life, but it has become our constant companion. For we have been ensnared by its seductive embrace, and fallen in love with its easy ways. And thus, we all know how unforgiving debt lenders are. They may give you occasional interest or payment relief not wanting you to default on what you owe them, but they will not forgive your debt.
So the master of this parable is ridiculous. A 10,000 talent debt! Easily a thousand life-times’ income. An incomprehensible amount. Completely unpayable. Not even by the sale of the slave, his wife, his family and all he owned could cover the amount. Yet the master forgives it. For the Lord had pity on him. The master was moved in his guts. Is he just a soft touch? A fool of a businessman, squandering the previous generations accumulation of wealth?
No. He is merciful. That is his nature. That is Our Lord’s point in this parable: His heavenly Father is like this merciful master who was moved in his guts by the plea for mercy of this woefully inadequate servant.
God is mercy therefore He is merciful and freely forgives the debts owed Him. He acts according to His nature. We, having been mercied by Him, and as His people are required to do mercy, and walk with Him in His ways. (Micah 6:8)
No. He is merciful. That is his nature. That is Our Lord’s point in this parable: His heavenly Father is like this merciful master who was moved in his guts by the plea for mercy of this woefully inadequate servant.
God is mercy therefore He is merciful and freely forgives the debts owed Him. He acts according to His nature. We, having been mercied by Him, and as His people are required to do mercy, and walk with Him in His ways. (Micah 6:8)
But that is not in our nature. We are not merciful. Every good tree bares good fruit, while a bad tree cannot help but bare bad fruit. (Matthew 7:19; 12:33) We act according to our nature. Therefore, we are stingy even when we have been forgiven. Though an impossible debt has been lifted off our shoulders burdened by our inherited sinful nature we cling to our pettiness. We rarely forgive our debtors. We act more like financial institutions than our merciful master. For that is our nature.
This is why our Lord`s graciousness is so miraculous, so unfathomable. We sinners by birth have had our very nature forgiven, and where there is forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation. Thus, not only has our nature been forgiven and the debt it owes paid, but that debt paying has killed your sinful nature and replaced it with Christ in you. You now desire to be like God: merciful, compassionate, walking humbly with your God in faith. Nonetheless, as long as your sinful flesh lives here below your old nature clings to you coming back when you least expect it. Raising in you the constant expectation of debt repayment. “Those people—be they your kids, your fellow church members, those folks who never come here, or give money, or do any of the work, yet call this their church—they haven’t paid their debts. They haven’t given their due. They owe me. They owe the church.” Or maybe your mercilessness is more theologically nuanced and so you say, “They owe God a debt of gratitude for all His mercy.” And you are probably right in your judgement of them. But your judgement also applies to you. For who is being ungracious? We claim we are standing up for the honour of those who have been defrauded, or not been properly paid or remunerated, but what we are being is stingy. Merciless. The opposite of what God requires. When we ourselves have been forgiven an impossible debt and yet we hang on to the petty debts others owe us by rights God threatens to hand you over to the torturer to pay the debt you owe Him.
This is why our Lord`s graciousness is so miraculous, so unfathomable. We sinners by birth have had our very nature forgiven, and where there is forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation. Thus, not only has our nature been forgiven and the debt it owes paid, but that debt paying has killed your sinful nature and replaced it with Christ in you. You now desire to be like God: merciful, compassionate, walking humbly with your God in faith. Nonetheless, as long as your sinful flesh lives here below your old nature clings to you coming back when you least expect it. Raising in you the constant expectation of debt repayment. “Those people—be they your kids, your fellow church members, those folks who never come here, or give money, or do any of the work, yet call this their church—they haven’t paid their debts. They haven’t given their due. They owe me. They owe the church.” Or maybe your mercilessness is more theologically nuanced and so you say, “They owe God a debt of gratitude for all His mercy.” And you are probably right in your judgement of them. But your judgement also applies to you. For who is being ungracious? We claim we are standing up for the honour of those who have been defrauded, or not been properly paid or remunerated, but what we are being is stingy. Merciless. The opposite of what God requires. When we ourselves have been forgiven an impossible debt and yet we hang on to the petty debts others owe us by rights God threatens to hand you over to the torturer to pay the debt you owe Him.
And that’s exactly what He did at the cross. To His Son. God the Father felt compassion for you deep down in His guts. He sent His own Son whose gut feeling was to heal His Father’s broken heart by reconciling you to His Father. He took the debt your sins owe on His sinless self. He purchased and won you from the torturers by handing Himself over to torture. He payed your debt not with gold or silver, but His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
You are now His own. You belong to Him. To live in His kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness for He has taken over you debts and all your affairs. Which means he has charge of you. He oversees you. Kills your old slave nature and puts His life in you, which fights against your old dead, sinful, merciless desires. He drowns them at the font. Absolves them with His Word. Strengthens the true you against them with His blood. For you belong to Him who purchased you from your own inborn nature with His own flesh. Out of the love He has for you which comes not just from the heart but the very essence of God Himself.
Which means the cross, the spear wound into His guts, from which flowed blood and water are His very essence. The core of the Triune God: which is mercy for you and all mankind richly flowing from His water and blood. The great price which has paid your unpayable debt.
In +Jesus’ name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
You are now His own. You belong to Him. To live in His kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness for He has taken over you debts and all your affairs. Which means he has charge of you. He oversees you. Kills your old slave nature and puts His life in you, which fights against your old dead, sinful, merciless desires. He drowns them at the font. Absolves them with His Word. Strengthens the true you against them with His blood. For you belong to Him who purchased you from your own inborn nature with His own flesh. Out of the love He has for you which comes not just from the heart but the very essence of God Himself.
Which means the cross, the spear wound into His guts, from which flowed blood and water are His very essence. The core of the Triune God: which is mercy for you and all mankind richly flowing from His water and blood. The great price which has paid your unpayable debt.
In +Jesus’ name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
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