Forgiveness in a Pandemic Pt 1 (Matthew 9:1-2)
Gary McManus, 08/09/2020Part of the Sermons for a Pandemic series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
August 9, 2020 Matthew 9:1-2
Forgiveness. Forgiveness in a pandemic.
A pandemic presents the followers of Jesus with
a whole different set of situations in need of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is important.
Forgiveness is essential to the Good News of Jesus.
Only by God’s grace are we saved. . .
Today’s affirmations of faith:
(from Ephesians 2:4-8)
And another affirmation (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. . .”
Jesus’ birth: Matthew chapter 1 and 2; Joseph,
was told in a dream:
“. . .he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus, providing US forgiveness for our sins,
calls us to forgive one another. . .
MORE THAN ONCE (Matthew 8:21-22)!
Forgiveness. . .
What forgiveness is NOT
--NOT RECONCILIATION
(reconciling; Matthew 5:24)
--forgiveness is NOT FORGETTING
The phrase “forgive and forget” . . NOT in the Bible.
Forgiving is also NOT EXCUSING.
Forgiveness means releasing the offender
from any obligation. Forgiveness is saying there
will be no penalty, no payback.
Jesus even also said (Matthew 5:43-44)
And now? A world-wide pandemic.
See this story? July 27, 2020, Dallas Texas. . .
Fourteen members of the same family tested positive for the coronavirus following a small gathering in June.
Plenty of prayer is needed. Forgiveness is necessary.
Forgiveness is necessary for YOUR healing.
Category: forgiving people who didn’t know they did wrong. One of the most difficult categories of forgiveness. . .
A church example. . .Strawberry, Alabama.
The Warrior Creek Missionary Baptist Church
Pastor Daryl Ross
Forgiveness needed here?
Other extreme examples:
Eva Kor, survivor of Auschwitz Concentration Camp
She founded CANDLES: Children of Auschwitz Nazi
Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors.
Like Eva Kor but a Christian evangelist: Corrie ten Boom.
Jesus made the connection for us with regard to healing and forgiveness: “Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:1-2)
Jesus says to a woman, “your sins are forgiven”
and her life is changed—her broken life was healed.
(Luke 7:48)
See Matthew 8: 1-4, The man is cleansed—all his relationships are healed. (including foremost, his relationship to God)
Yale Divinity School, Professor Volf:
If human relationships are conflicted and they leave behind them a trail of words, or tears, or even blood, the only way to deal with those wounds is through forgiveness.”
Reassure ourselves of Jesus’ forgiveness.
Work on our forgiving of others. Amen.
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