Matthew 18

I want you to know before we get to my thoughts on this chapter that I will not be sending out these morning devotionals next week.  I am on vacation, so,please forgive mefor disappearing on you.  I encourage you to keep reading though. Next week is chapter 19-23 

Speaking of forgiveness, Matthew 18 is a foundational passage from Jesus on this very subject.  Forgiveness, both giving it and receiving it, is central to Christianity. Let me ask you a question: Is it easier for you to receive forgiveness or to offer it to someone else?  I wonder if we sometimes use the word too easily or in a trite manner; like I did above when I asked forgiveness for not sending out emails next week; is that really an offense that requires forgiveness?  

Think about the following statement: to extend forgiveness to someone is supposed to cost you something!  Here is what I mean; to forgive someone an offense against you is to say to them: “I won’t make you pay, I will pay for your offense.” “I wont hurt you back, but I will bear the pain of your actions!   Is that not what Christ did for us?  Jesus is telling us in Matthew 18 that the depths of our personal sins were so great, yet he forgave us; therefore, how is it possible that we would consider not forgiving other people whose sins against us are considerably less offensive?

Now here are two more things I want you to think about today.  

§ What is the relationship between forgiveness and reconciliation? If I forgive someone, am I required to reconcile with that person also? 

§  If the offender is not repentant, I am still required to forgive him/her?  

Please give me your thoughts on these questions, they are not hypothetical, the answer to them is at heart of Christianity and deeply affects our everyday relationships.