Godly Attributes: Forgiveness

As we share in the life of the Trinity, we share in the very heart and mind of God. This series looks at the attributes of God as revealed through Jesus Christ.

Introduction

When learning to scuba dive, we had 2 team exercises to perform. One was to tread water for 20 minutes. Once we mastered that, a one pound weight was given to us. We as a team had to stay afloat for another 20 minutes. The second was to swim to the bottom of the pool where several scuba tanks were positioned and swim from tank to tank. At the beginning this was easy because there were 5 tanks spread out around the pool. But the real difficulty came when more and more of us went down. Five tanks wasn’t enough when there were six, then seven, then eight of us. We had to wait while a person took their fill of air. We were dying as they held onto that source of air. Some couldn’t let it go and eventually we would have to surface.

We take our spiritual walk very seriously but sometimes we miss the point of what is happening to us. Sometimes we focus on finishing the race or succeeding in our goal rather than living in the moment.

To begin this study, read Luke 17:1-10.

Luke 17: 1-10

1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 “Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Lessons for life

In order to understand the lessons of this passage, you have to study it in its context within this gospel. This passage comes immediately after the kingdom lessons to the Pharisees beginning in Luke 15.

• The Pharisees’ attitude towards sinners was the opposite than the Father’s.
• Parables of the lost sheep and lost coin tells us the Father never gives up on us until we return to relationship with him.
• Parable of the lost son tells us those who are serving God out of duty are missing God’s heart. Legalism prevents us from seeing God’s mercy.
• Parable of the shrewd manager tells us to use the resources God has given us for Kingdom work.
• Legalism will never be satisfied.
• Story of Lazarus and the rich man teaches us about the gulf that exists between the way of love and the way of legalism.

Christ’s message to us comes in Luke 17:1-10

Vs 1: "Cause you to stumble" – implication is setting a trap. Greek word is the bait stick. This is not an unintentional tripping but a deliberate desire to lead away. Implication: Jesus considers legalism to be a type of this trap.

• An old man who was dying. Something was obviously worrying him. He told them at last what it was. “ When I was a lad,” he said, “I often played on a wide common. Near its centre two roads met and crossed, and, standing at the cross-roads, was an old rickety sign-post. I remember one day twisting it round in its socket, thus altering the arms and making them point in the wrong direction; and I’ve been wondering ever since how many travellers I sent on the wrong road.  ”

Vs 2: Jesus' warning is clear - if you are such a person, it won’t be a little 1 pound weight tied to your neck when you are hurled into the sea.

Vs 3: We need to stay diligent in what we teach.

• If someone sins against us [implication is a will to trip us up through doctrine] we are to forgive – over and over again.
• The Rabbis had a saying that if one forgave another three times, one was a perfect man. The Christian standard takes the Rabbinic standard, doubles it and adds one; but it is not a matter of calculation. It simply means that the Christian standard of forgiveness must immeasurably exceed the best the world can achieve.

Vs 5 Plea for faith.

• If we approach a thing saying, “ It can’t be done,” it will not; if we approach it saying, “It must be done,” the chances are that it will. We must always remember tha t we approach no task alone, but that with us there is God and all his power.

Vs 7-10: What is expected for Christians - to forgive.

• For Christians, it’s the nature of forgiveness that has to become part of us.
• Matthew 18:21 If we don’t forgive, the Father won’t forgive us.
• 1Co 13:4-7 Love is . . .
• Ephesians 4:17-32 Attitudes of Christians
• Col 3:12,13 Filling out hearts with Godly attitudes.

Conclusion

The goal of the scuba diving exercise was to stay under water for 10 minutes and we were ready to push the other person off the air to achieve that goal. The problem was we missed the real goal – to practice sharing the precious air. As Christians, we set our hearts on the Kingdom and are ready to push out all who lead us away. But the real goal is to practice forgiving one another – this is the real nature we have to allow to become part of us. Until it is, we’re not ready.

My prayer for you this week: May God give you a chance to practice His Godly attributes. My you receive an oppurtunity to forgive.

References

The Revised Standard Version (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1971), Lk 17:1.

The Gospel of Luke , ed. William Barclay, lecturer in the University of Glasgow, The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1975), 216.

The Gospel of Luke , ed. William Barclay, lecturer in the University of Glasgow, The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1975), 216.

The Gospel of Luke , ed. William Barclay, lecturer in the University of Glasgow, The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1975), 216.