Discipleship after Deliverance
Commentary
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 2 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. In the year of St. Matthew’s gospel, if we believe Jesus has the correct interpretation of the scriptures of his time, then this “Great Commission” text might serve as a guiding principle for all of the texts today. The Greek word May Thay Tais for “disciple” is follower, pupil and lifelong learning disciple (Newman, 110). Each of today’s text relates to some form of deliverance and the discipleship lifestyle which is to follow. The Israelites will enter the wilderness in Exodus. Paul addresses differences in eating habits and other issues to Christians in Romans. Jesus discusses how often one must forgive Matthew 18. Deliverance still entails growing as a “disciple” is one thread that holds all three of these texts together today.
A modern example might be an empty nester couple whose sons have both gone away to college. Now the structure of their days is no longer around high school classes or sports activities. Yet, they do support both of their sons in college. However, state laws forbid the parents from checking in the progress of their sons’ grades and attendance while in college. Other complicating factors include one son is driven to a career path which he meticulously pursues and plans to enter the graduate school. The other son is smart but wanders aimlessly through majors in college and acts like a “de facto” live at home commuter student. What does parenting look like for adults who have graduated from high school? The parents believed when their sons walked across the high school graduation stage to receive their diplomas that they are delivered from hands-on daily parenting. Instead, parenting takes on a different form in days of worrying about heavy college student loan debt, changes in marketable college degrees and adults returning home to live in their parents’ basements. Today’s texts might provide some guiding principles of discipleship for these parents [Source: Barclay Newman, Greek English Dictionary of the New Testament (United Bible Societies, 1971)].
Exodus 14:19-31
This text reflects one of the defining events of the people and nation of Israel. Generally, scholars agree it is a composite of three editors: Yahwist (J), Elohist (E) and Priestly (P) writer. Moses is the patriarch who is leading the people away from place of slavery for many years. The people are fleeing Egyptian bondage of the Pharaoh’s armies’ now hot pursuit of the people who travel on foot. Pharaoh’s army is driven by horses and chariots of that day. The people are up against the obstacle of the sea. This would not be the last time water would become a potential impediment to the people’s journey. Joshua 2-3 reports the people would later need to find a way across the Jordan River. Deliverance from this foe would not be the last moment of flight from enemies who seek to do the people harm.
The angel of God and pillar of cloud that moved both in front and behind the people has been identified as a “theophany” of sorts which God also uses Moses and the parting of a body of water to accomplish God’s will. Modern scholarship has disputed the precise location of the body of water. Was it Sea of Reed, which is a swampland to allow people on foot to travel expeditiously, meanwhile the technology of the chariots and horses got stuck in the mud? Was it the actual Red Sea and certain winds were able to blow a temporary dry land path through the waters, and the same waters closed in behind the people of Israel?
The narrative reports Moses stretching his hand and staff over the sea so the waters are parted for the nation to walk onto dry land. Have such texts as this one raised the bar up to impossible for modern leaders who might be expected to deliver their churches and organizations from overwhelming odds and tine accumulated obstacles? Are leaders expected to pull off Moses-like miracles today?
The point of the text is that God is active in both human agents and effects of natural creation. The Creator God is one deity (unlike polytheism) who has both a stake and interest in God’s elect people. Egypt is the symbol of anti-creation which tries to place limitations on both God and the people’s creativity, and stewardship of the earth. Egypt attempts to restrain, control and manipulate creation for selfish purposes. God can overcome any technological tool which becomes weaponized through his sovereign use of natural disasters, creation, and wildlife. This might suggest a preaching path which reminds people that no amount of human technology or attempts to harness creation will be totally successful in lieu of the unpredictability of weather conditions. Any given year could thave unprecedented tornados, winter storms and flooding. The text reminds people that the Creator continues to create and rule the earth.
Another theme of the text is water is a symbol for “chaos” throughout the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). God is the one brings order out of chaos—might be another preaching path. God continues to be the victor over all chaos which comes into people’s lives. God can use both a human leader figure such as Moses as well as natural flow of events to accomplish such purposes. Also, this conflict between the forces of creation and anti-creation will unravel itself through many predictable as well as unpredictable events in the life of the people of Israel, and later.
Another theme to explore is God preparing the people to enter the wilderness for many years. Deliverance does not mean utopian fantasies now have come true after the escape from the Egyptian armies. The people will continue to learn what it means to be a disciple of God in a new set of obstacles and challenges before they arrive at the land of Canaan. The empty nest parents in the above illustration, may not have to get up to send their sons off to school as in times past, but bills, credit card statements and requests for use of family vehicles may be the new wilderness’ these parents face. The good news is God still provides. God will use both human and natural means to accomplish God’s will. Anti-creation forces in the form of email spam, telemarketers and media enticements to make foolish decisions persist. The teachings of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, as well as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 are still God’s gift to God’s people in any new challenges of being a disciple after being delivered from the latest anti-creation foe.
Finally, the text concludes with the people fearing both the Lord and Moses. Where does fear fit into the equation of discipleship today? Do followers really want a “pal, friend or buddy” rather than a teacher or religious leader who will share both bad and good news? Would modern leadership organizations tell Moses that he needs to be more “people-friendly” and marketable to a consumer culture who desires to feel good about being a disciple? Would Moses need a blog or live stream video to attract and retain disciples? [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Exodus, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1991); Martin Noth, The Old Testament Library: Exodus (SCM Press, 1962)].
Romans 14:1-9
This text is regarding the “danger of self-righteousness lies in its tendency to make one’s own convictions the measure of validity of the convictions of all others” (Achtemeier, 215). The epistle of Romans is an uncontested Pauline epistle. This passage identities the threat of Christian unity as Paul’s major concern for the Roman Christian audience. The arena of conflict is that of which foods are followers of Christ to abstain from eating and which ones are permissible?
One summarizing point and interpretative lens for this passage and other texts in Romans might be, “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's” (Romans 14:7-8). Here, the Christian is a servant of God, and to nobody else. God accepts both those who are weak and strong in their faith journeys as disciples. Acts of kindness, community meals and other practices are responses to God’s grace, not a means to earning God’s favor. One person’s faith convictions or practices is neither above nor below in status to the other person. All people of faith are on a journey. Judging another person with differing practices is unacceptable, according to the passage.
For example, some Christians do not believe listening to secular rock music is appropriate for developing one’s faith, while others see a modern version of God’s speaking through artists from the same music. One possible litmus test might be to ask, “How is God or God’s creation being revealed or glorified?”
Related to the above point is God as the final judge of all people’s actions. Paul says elsewhere in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.” God is the ultimate judge, not anybody who holds differing faith convictions on food, lifestyle or other religious practices (Hultgren, 513-515). Nobody is to be a self-appointed piety patrol force over other believers personal or faith practices.
Another example might be a new person of faith enters into a private home for a Bible study. The host is of a liturgical and sacramental tradition which allows for wine and other alcoholic beverages to be served to guests. The newer convert attends a church which practices total abstinence from all alcoholic (and tobacco) products. On one hand, the host should not flaunt the practice of alcohol consumption, yet still offer non-alcoholic beverages. Neither the new convert nor traditional liturgical Christian should judge one another’s practices of consumption of alcoholic beverages. Many liturgical churches do often offer both a wine and grape juice option for communion. This might be in the spirit of this text in Romans 14.
While conflicts persist in any community where people are both raised and formed by differing worldviews, norms and mores etc., we are still the Lord’s. We both live and die by the Lord in whom we serve. If that is the one who died and rose from the grave, then we are all part of the same faith community who will be raised at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-58). A good summary of this text might be, “It is not religious practices that certify one’s relationship to God. All members of the body of Christ, regardless of their particular practices or lack thereof, belong to Christ through their common confession, not their habits” (Hultgren, 513). Preaching this text should always keep in mind the final verse, “So then, each of us will be accountable to God.”
As this relates to the empty nesting couple in the opening illustration, they should avoid criticizing parents who have adult children living in their basement for long periods of time, as this could be their situation as well if their one wondering son does not settle on a career, and continues to work minimum wage jobs for personal expenses.” The discipleship journey for every person is different despite overcoming not failing to overcome past obstacles. According to Paul in Romans 14:8, “…We are the Lord’s,” [Sources: Paul Achtemeier, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Romans, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1985); Arland J. Hultgren, Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Commentary, (Wm. B. Erdmann’s, 2011)].
Matthew 18:21-35
Forgiveness knows no limits for Christian disciples, is the main point of this text. Peter, the spokesman for the disciples, asks Jesus how often he must forgive the brother or sister who sins against him? Peter speculates that seven times might be a generous number of times to overlook any infractions or sins. Seven years was also the time to release slaves who might have owed some debts (Exodus 21:2; Leviticus 25:40; Deuteronomy 15:12). Jesus responds with seventy times seven, which implies enumerable times. In Matthew’s gospel, the disciples are the forgiven who know how to forgive.
Just as God’s forgiveness is inexhaustible, the disciples must cultivate the ability to renew their forgiveness to other people again and again (Hagner, 536 Keener, 457). To underscore this point, Jesus shares a parable, part of is also located in Luke 17:1-4, suggesting a well-known saying from the “Q” source.
The parable begins with a king who wishes to settle account with his slaves or servants. One servant owes the king or lord what equals 250 years in wages. “…out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt” Matthew 18:27. In an agricultural economy, poor crops and personal family circumstances would possibly earn some benevolence from the king or lord of the property. This practice was also recognized in foreign nations such as Ptolemaic Egypt, as having workers imprisoned for circumstances beyond their control does not serve the nation or empire.
Once this slave is forgiven, he expresses hubris for fellow slave who owed him money. Instead of passing on the forgiveness he received, he had this slave thrown into prison. This slave owed 1/5 the size of debt whom the forgiven slave owed the king. Other slaves observed this and reported it to the king who forgave the first slave. “Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’” (Matthew 18:32-33). The text goes on to say, “And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.”
This raises some possibly troubling points. Is God’s forgiveness revocable as this lord revoked the forgiveness of the selfish slave? This slave must now hope that he has enough family, relatives and connections in the community to pay off his debts. Also, are there “limits” on God’s forgiveness as Jesus still tells the disciples to forgive other people seventy times seven?
Also, how often do we pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). If we do not forgive, does this mean our sins are also not forgiven and we may be subject to being “handed over to be tortured?”
A modern example might be an angry church council who “ambushes” the pastor during the meeting by bombarding and heaving non-provable accusations, and threats to fire him or her. At the close of the church council meeting, they follow their practice to pray the traditional Lord’s Prayer. When the “forgive us our debts” petition comes next, there is a deafening silence in the room. They go on with “And lead us not into temptation….” And say the “Amen.” Have these angry council members acted in a similar way as the unforgiving slave? Will God perform similar acts of retribution on these council members?” These are timely questions to ask about the nature of discipleship. In the opening illustration, how have the parents modeled their views on forgiveness?
Furthermore, suppose somebody does endure horrifying pain and abuse from an abuser, should the victim forgive the abuser? One direction I have taken is simply to hand the matter over to God. As they say in some twelve-step groups, to hang onto bitterness and resentment is like taking rat poison and expecting the other person to die.”
Another case and point of “forgiveness” as a cross reference might be Paul’s letter to Philemon, in the case of Onesimus. In this case, Paul offers to pay for any damage the escaped slave might have inflicted. Also, does forgiveness equal forgetting the past actions of the person? A modern example is a scrupulous out-of-town relative asks for a cash loan from an elderly relative whose mind is often clouded. The relative receives the loan and loses the money. While the family may forgive the out-of-town relative, nobody is willing to listen to his or her pleas for another financial loan. [Sources: Donald Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28, (Thomas Nelson, 1995); Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio Rhetorical Commentary (Wm. B. Erdman’s 2009)].
Application
Does the church or do people of faith take the idea of the “Year of Jubilee” seriously (Deuteronomy 15:1-11 and Leviticus 25:13-55? The same people who wish to take a literalist view on texts related to sexuality (Genesis 18-19) might consider the burdens of student loan debt placed on many families. Why are certain Old Testament passages elevated or held in higher status than others—especially in areas of money, finances, and loan practices?
Another obvious path is, “Who do you hold a grudge against to this very day?” Quite often after the death of an elderly patriarch or matriarch, estate disputes can linger on for years if not generations? Are there examples of businesses in the area whose owners still nurse sore wounds of the past?
Alternative Application
Are there certain questions which might be better unasked? Had Peter not asked this question about forgiveness, would the traditional Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) era solutions and responses be sufficient?
A modern example might be an empty nester couple whose sons have both gone away to college. Now the structure of their days is no longer around high school classes or sports activities. Yet, they do support both of their sons in college. However, state laws forbid the parents from checking in the progress of their sons’ grades and attendance while in college. Other complicating factors include one son is driven to a career path which he meticulously pursues and plans to enter the graduate school. The other son is smart but wanders aimlessly through majors in college and acts like a “de facto” live at home commuter student. What does parenting look like for adults who have graduated from high school? The parents believed when their sons walked across the high school graduation stage to receive their diplomas that they are delivered from hands-on daily parenting. Instead, parenting takes on a different form in days of worrying about heavy college student loan debt, changes in marketable college degrees and adults returning home to live in their parents’ basements. Today’s texts might provide some guiding principles of discipleship for these parents [Source: Barclay Newman, Greek English Dictionary of the New Testament (United Bible Societies, 1971)].
Exodus 14:19-31
This text reflects one of the defining events of the people and nation of Israel. Generally, scholars agree it is a composite of three editors: Yahwist (J), Elohist (E) and Priestly (P) writer. Moses is the patriarch who is leading the people away from place of slavery for many years. The people are fleeing Egyptian bondage of the Pharaoh’s armies’ now hot pursuit of the people who travel on foot. Pharaoh’s army is driven by horses and chariots of that day. The people are up against the obstacle of the sea. This would not be the last time water would become a potential impediment to the people’s journey. Joshua 2-3 reports the people would later need to find a way across the Jordan River. Deliverance from this foe would not be the last moment of flight from enemies who seek to do the people harm.
The angel of God and pillar of cloud that moved both in front and behind the people has been identified as a “theophany” of sorts which God also uses Moses and the parting of a body of water to accomplish God’s will. Modern scholarship has disputed the precise location of the body of water. Was it Sea of Reed, which is a swampland to allow people on foot to travel expeditiously, meanwhile the technology of the chariots and horses got stuck in the mud? Was it the actual Red Sea and certain winds were able to blow a temporary dry land path through the waters, and the same waters closed in behind the people of Israel?
The narrative reports Moses stretching his hand and staff over the sea so the waters are parted for the nation to walk onto dry land. Have such texts as this one raised the bar up to impossible for modern leaders who might be expected to deliver their churches and organizations from overwhelming odds and tine accumulated obstacles? Are leaders expected to pull off Moses-like miracles today?
The point of the text is that God is active in both human agents and effects of natural creation. The Creator God is one deity (unlike polytheism) who has both a stake and interest in God’s elect people. Egypt is the symbol of anti-creation which tries to place limitations on both God and the people’s creativity, and stewardship of the earth. Egypt attempts to restrain, control and manipulate creation for selfish purposes. God can overcome any technological tool which becomes weaponized through his sovereign use of natural disasters, creation, and wildlife. This might suggest a preaching path which reminds people that no amount of human technology or attempts to harness creation will be totally successful in lieu of the unpredictability of weather conditions. Any given year could thave unprecedented tornados, winter storms and flooding. The text reminds people that the Creator continues to create and rule the earth.
Another theme of the text is water is a symbol for “chaos” throughout the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). God is the one brings order out of chaos—might be another preaching path. God continues to be the victor over all chaos which comes into people’s lives. God can use both a human leader figure such as Moses as well as natural flow of events to accomplish such purposes. Also, this conflict between the forces of creation and anti-creation will unravel itself through many predictable as well as unpredictable events in the life of the people of Israel, and later.
Another theme to explore is God preparing the people to enter the wilderness for many years. Deliverance does not mean utopian fantasies now have come true after the escape from the Egyptian armies. The people will continue to learn what it means to be a disciple of God in a new set of obstacles and challenges before they arrive at the land of Canaan. The empty nest parents in the above illustration, may not have to get up to send their sons off to school as in times past, but bills, credit card statements and requests for use of family vehicles may be the new wilderness’ these parents face. The good news is God still provides. God will use both human and natural means to accomplish God’s will. Anti-creation forces in the form of email spam, telemarketers and media enticements to make foolish decisions persist. The teachings of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, as well as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 are still God’s gift to God’s people in any new challenges of being a disciple after being delivered from the latest anti-creation foe.
Finally, the text concludes with the people fearing both the Lord and Moses. Where does fear fit into the equation of discipleship today? Do followers really want a “pal, friend or buddy” rather than a teacher or religious leader who will share both bad and good news? Would modern leadership organizations tell Moses that he needs to be more “people-friendly” and marketable to a consumer culture who desires to feel good about being a disciple? Would Moses need a blog or live stream video to attract and retain disciples? [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Exodus, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1991); Martin Noth, The Old Testament Library: Exodus (SCM Press, 1962)].
Romans 14:1-9
This text is regarding the “danger of self-righteousness lies in its tendency to make one’s own convictions the measure of validity of the convictions of all others” (Achtemeier, 215). The epistle of Romans is an uncontested Pauline epistle. This passage identities the threat of Christian unity as Paul’s major concern for the Roman Christian audience. The arena of conflict is that of which foods are followers of Christ to abstain from eating and which ones are permissible?
One summarizing point and interpretative lens for this passage and other texts in Romans might be, “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's” (Romans 14:7-8). Here, the Christian is a servant of God, and to nobody else. God accepts both those who are weak and strong in their faith journeys as disciples. Acts of kindness, community meals and other practices are responses to God’s grace, not a means to earning God’s favor. One person’s faith convictions or practices is neither above nor below in status to the other person. All people of faith are on a journey. Judging another person with differing practices is unacceptable, according to the passage.
For example, some Christians do not believe listening to secular rock music is appropriate for developing one’s faith, while others see a modern version of God’s speaking through artists from the same music. One possible litmus test might be to ask, “How is God or God’s creation being revealed or glorified?”
Related to the above point is God as the final judge of all people’s actions. Paul says elsewhere in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.” God is the ultimate judge, not anybody who holds differing faith convictions on food, lifestyle or other religious practices (Hultgren, 513-515). Nobody is to be a self-appointed piety patrol force over other believers personal or faith practices.
Another example might be a new person of faith enters into a private home for a Bible study. The host is of a liturgical and sacramental tradition which allows for wine and other alcoholic beverages to be served to guests. The newer convert attends a church which practices total abstinence from all alcoholic (and tobacco) products. On one hand, the host should not flaunt the practice of alcohol consumption, yet still offer non-alcoholic beverages. Neither the new convert nor traditional liturgical Christian should judge one another’s practices of consumption of alcoholic beverages. Many liturgical churches do often offer both a wine and grape juice option for communion. This might be in the spirit of this text in Romans 14.
While conflicts persist in any community where people are both raised and formed by differing worldviews, norms and mores etc., we are still the Lord’s. We both live and die by the Lord in whom we serve. If that is the one who died and rose from the grave, then we are all part of the same faith community who will be raised at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-58). A good summary of this text might be, “It is not religious practices that certify one’s relationship to God. All members of the body of Christ, regardless of their particular practices or lack thereof, belong to Christ through their common confession, not their habits” (Hultgren, 513). Preaching this text should always keep in mind the final verse, “So then, each of us will be accountable to God.”
As this relates to the empty nesting couple in the opening illustration, they should avoid criticizing parents who have adult children living in their basement for long periods of time, as this could be their situation as well if their one wondering son does not settle on a career, and continues to work minimum wage jobs for personal expenses.” The discipleship journey for every person is different despite overcoming not failing to overcome past obstacles. According to Paul in Romans 14:8, “…We are the Lord’s,” [Sources: Paul Achtemeier, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Romans, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1985); Arland J. Hultgren, Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Commentary, (Wm. B. Erdmann’s, 2011)].
Matthew 18:21-35
Forgiveness knows no limits for Christian disciples, is the main point of this text. Peter, the spokesman for the disciples, asks Jesus how often he must forgive the brother or sister who sins against him? Peter speculates that seven times might be a generous number of times to overlook any infractions or sins. Seven years was also the time to release slaves who might have owed some debts (Exodus 21:2; Leviticus 25:40; Deuteronomy 15:12). Jesus responds with seventy times seven, which implies enumerable times. In Matthew’s gospel, the disciples are the forgiven who know how to forgive.
Just as God’s forgiveness is inexhaustible, the disciples must cultivate the ability to renew their forgiveness to other people again and again (Hagner, 536 Keener, 457). To underscore this point, Jesus shares a parable, part of is also located in Luke 17:1-4, suggesting a well-known saying from the “Q” source.
The parable begins with a king who wishes to settle account with his slaves or servants. One servant owes the king or lord what equals 250 years in wages. “…out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt” Matthew 18:27. In an agricultural economy, poor crops and personal family circumstances would possibly earn some benevolence from the king or lord of the property. This practice was also recognized in foreign nations such as Ptolemaic Egypt, as having workers imprisoned for circumstances beyond their control does not serve the nation or empire.
Once this slave is forgiven, he expresses hubris for fellow slave who owed him money. Instead of passing on the forgiveness he received, he had this slave thrown into prison. This slave owed 1/5 the size of debt whom the forgiven slave owed the king. Other slaves observed this and reported it to the king who forgave the first slave. “Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’” (Matthew 18:32-33). The text goes on to say, “And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.”
This raises some possibly troubling points. Is God’s forgiveness revocable as this lord revoked the forgiveness of the selfish slave? This slave must now hope that he has enough family, relatives and connections in the community to pay off his debts. Also, are there “limits” on God’s forgiveness as Jesus still tells the disciples to forgive other people seventy times seven?
Also, how often do we pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). If we do not forgive, does this mean our sins are also not forgiven and we may be subject to being “handed over to be tortured?”
A modern example might be an angry church council who “ambushes” the pastor during the meeting by bombarding and heaving non-provable accusations, and threats to fire him or her. At the close of the church council meeting, they follow their practice to pray the traditional Lord’s Prayer. When the “forgive us our debts” petition comes next, there is a deafening silence in the room. They go on with “And lead us not into temptation….” And say the “Amen.” Have these angry council members acted in a similar way as the unforgiving slave? Will God perform similar acts of retribution on these council members?” These are timely questions to ask about the nature of discipleship. In the opening illustration, how have the parents modeled their views on forgiveness?
Furthermore, suppose somebody does endure horrifying pain and abuse from an abuser, should the victim forgive the abuser? One direction I have taken is simply to hand the matter over to God. As they say in some twelve-step groups, to hang onto bitterness and resentment is like taking rat poison and expecting the other person to die.”
Another case and point of “forgiveness” as a cross reference might be Paul’s letter to Philemon, in the case of Onesimus. In this case, Paul offers to pay for any damage the escaped slave might have inflicted. Also, does forgiveness equal forgetting the past actions of the person? A modern example is a scrupulous out-of-town relative asks for a cash loan from an elderly relative whose mind is often clouded. The relative receives the loan and loses the money. While the family may forgive the out-of-town relative, nobody is willing to listen to his or her pleas for another financial loan. [Sources: Donald Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28, (Thomas Nelson, 1995); Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio Rhetorical Commentary (Wm. B. Erdman’s 2009)].
Application
Does the church or do people of faith take the idea of the “Year of Jubilee” seriously (Deuteronomy 15:1-11 and Leviticus 25:13-55? The same people who wish to take a literalist view on texts related to sexuality (Genesis 18-19) might consider the burdens of student loan debt placed on many families. Why are certain Old Testament passages elevated or held in higher status than others—especially in areas of money, finances, and loan practices?
Another obvious path is, “Who do you hold a grudge against to this very day?” Quite often after the death of an elderly patriarch or matriarch, estate disputes can linger on for years if not generations? Are there examples of businesses in the area whose owners still nurse sore wounds of the past?
Alternative Application
Are there certain questions which might be better unasked? Had Peter not asked this question about forgiveness, would the traditional Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) era solutions and responses be sufficient?
