Scripture

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Observation
Jesus tells a parable about a man who employs labourers for his vineyard at different times of the day, promising to pay each one the same amount.

When the time comes to pay them, he arranges for the last employed to be paid first. The men who worked all day are outraged that they receive the same as those who worked just one hour.

The owner points out that they received what they agreed to. As the owner he can do what he pleases with his money.

Application
Grace can be annoying, especially when other people receive it. We think it’s fine for God to forgive us, but struggle to cope with the idea that God might also forgive paedophiles, murderers, sex traffickers and other really bad people.

This is the scandal of the cross- Jesus pays it forward for everybody.

Is it fair that some mass murderer confesses on his death bed and gets into heaven scot free?

Of course it’s not fair, and that is just the point. It’s not fair that God chooses to overlook my sin in the same way.

It has never been about justice. It’s all about God’s extravagant love.

Prayer
Father, your grace is truly amazing. I deserve nothing from you, but you give freely. Thank you. Amen.

Scripture

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Observation
Peter asks Jesus how many times he is required to forgive someone who sins against him. He suggests seven times, but Jesus says “Not seven times but seventy times seven.”
Jesus then tells a parable about a man who is forgiven a huge debt by a king. The debt is so big that nobody could ever expect to pay it off, but the king forgives him. The man finds another servant who owes him a few thousand dollars and refuses to show the same grace that he has received. The result is that the king rescinds his previous decision and has the man thrown into prison.

Application
Forgiveness is at the heart of the gospel. Firstly God forgives us of our entire catalogue of sin. Then he expects us to live out the same grace in our daily lives.
To harbour resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness is to show that we have not allowed the grace of God to deeply penetrate our hearts.
Forgiving other people is hard work. It goes against our human nature to do this. Most of us want to keep a record of wrongs to justify ourselves. The deeper the hurt we have suffered the longer it will take to move to the place of letting go.
God’s commandment is that we must love our enemies, and His kind of love keeps no record of wrongs.

Prayer
Father please help me to respond to your forgiving grace by forgiving those who sin against me. Rescue me from all forms of bitterness. Amen.

Scripture

“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

Observation
If another disciple sins against me, I should go privately and point out the offence. If this does not bring reconciliation, I should seek the help of another believer, and when all else fails take it to the whole church.
The sins we forgive on earth are forgiven in heaven. The sins we hold on to will also be held in heaven.
Whenever we meet together and pray in agreement, Jesus is with us and the Father will hear us.

Application
I am often amazed at Jesus’ commitment to unity in the church and our lack of interest in the same topic.
We often approach the Matthew 18 process as a means of punishment rather than a means of genuine reconciliation. What Jesus is getting at here is not so much a pathway to justice as a pathway for forgiveness.
Is this issue that offended me important enough to confront, or should I just let go of it? Do I want to escalate the conflict or will I forgive? Is this really important enough to take to the whole congregation or will I be called out for lacking grace?
When a brother/sister offends me and I can meet with him/her and pray with them with one heart, isn’t that the prayer that moves the Father?
This passage is not just about getting our prayers answered. It is about pursuing love in the church.

Prayer
Lord forgive me for holding on to petty offences and raising my imagined right to be offended above your command to forgive. Amen.

Scripture

“What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

Observation
Jesus begins to tell His disciples that He must suffer and be crucified, but on the third day He will rise from the dead.
Peter reprimands the Lord for this negative confession, but Jesus says, “Get away from me, Satan!”
Anyone who wants to follow Jesus must die to their old selves. To give up our life for Him is to save it, but to hold onto our life is to lose it.

Application
Everything about following Jesus us counter-intuitive. This is not because God’s ways are crazy, but because sin has so overturned our values that what seems right and natural is often wrong and sinful.
This is why Jesus was so strong in His rebuke of Peter. Peter was looking at things from a human point of view when a different (God) perspective was needed.
To follow Jesus means that God always comes first. We lay our lives at His feet and allow Him to determine the course of our lives.
In human terms this seems really stupid, but in God’s eyes there really is no other way.

Prayer
Show me your ways, Lord. Help me to live in that constant sense of being dead to my own ambitions and alive to your plans for me. Amen