I was privileged to give this sermon Sunday ( September 13th, 2026 ) at Saint Philip’s Episcopal Church in Circleville, OH.

Listen to this sermon here.

Our lesson today is a continuation of the fourth teaching or discourse in the book of Matthew. The fourth discourse is all about how Christians should build a community of believers, a church. 

The discourse begins with the idea that we should be child-like in our faith. Humble, loving, and trusting with our brothers and sisters in the church. 

Last week, our lesson from Matthew was about how Christians should love and care for each other in the church. Showing love and concern for each other as we live our lives.

This week our lesson is about forgiveness in the Christian community.
Peter understands that the act of forgiveness is important in following Jesus. Forgiveness is also an important part of Jewish religious tradition, and the usual standard for forgiveness was to forgive anyone at least three times. Just like baseball, where everyone gets three chances. Peter knows that Jesus expects more, he asks Jesus if we should forgive one another as many as seven times.
Jesus replies we should forgive each other at least 77 times.
Practically speaking as a Christian, we are to always forgive each other.

Forgiveness is the fundamental Christian practice to demonstrate our love one to another in the community of believers.

No matter how many times someone steals from the community, or lies to any of us, or cuts someone off in traffic – we are to forgive them.

Jesus knows that he has just made an extraordinary demand for his followers to forgive; so, he tells the parable of the unforgiving servant to demonstrate how God forgives and how we should forgive.

The parable has many interesting details. The first is the stupendous size of the debt that the servant owes his King. Ten Thousand is a number that has traditionally been used in ancient literature as a number that is so large it may as well be infinite. This debt that the King forgives is too large for anyone to literally count, let alone pay back. Jesus wanted to show that God’s mercy and grace towards us is overwhelmingly abundant.

The servant simply begs his King for forgiveness, even promising to pay back this huge amount of money. The King feels pity for his servant and forgives the debt. Even though the servant cannot possibly pay this debt to his King; the King, God still forgives His servant.

God forgives us for all the ways in which we fail ourselves and the people around us. We are forgiven for our faults, for the cruelties of our words and actions. Try as we might to do better, as we continue to hurt each other, God continues to forgive us.

The forgiven servant then violently attacks his fellow servant and demands payment. The King hears about his unforgiving servant, and because this ungrateful servant did not extend mercy to his fellow servant after receiving the unlimited mercy of his King, his debt is reinstated. Not only is he jailed, he will be tortured until his debt is paid.

The infinite mercy that was extended to him was wasted; as he did not in turn pass on even a small measure of that mercy to forgive his fellow servant.

Preaching from this gospel passage has been a revelation to me. I understood that forgiveness is important, but like Peter, I’ve been setting limits on my forgiveness. We are constantly asking for God’s forgiveness. But we forget that when we receive the mercy and grace of God’s forgiveness, God expects us to pass that mercy on to everyone around us, without counting how many times someone has been forgiven, without questioning whether they deserve to be forgiven.
We are expected to show mercy to others.

Forgiveness of others is so important that we are reminded of this obligation to forgive in the Lord’s prayer:
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.

There are many common misunderstandings about forgiveness.

Many people think forgiving someone is a sign of weakness. When in reality, forgiveness is a sign of spiritual maturity and strength.
Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting how we have been injured by others.
Forgiveness allows us to master our anger in the moment and not respond to injury by getting even: causing harm in return.
Forgiveness over time prevents the memory of being hurt from destroying us from within.
Forgiveness is all about letting those angry and bitter emotions go. Laying down the burden of our resentments.
Forgiveness isn’t about reconciliation with others. The work of forgiveness is entirely ours alone, so that we can find peace within ourselves and with our God.

Once we have completed the inner work of forgiveness, the fruits of forgiveness are shared by everyone around us. Like a tree that we ourselves have planted and watered, shares its shade and fruit to everyone in the community.

One method for achieving forgiveness is the humble realization that both we and the person who has injured or hurt us are both children of God. Both of us failing to live as we should, causing pain to each other, both of us entirely dependent on God’s love, mercy and grace.

Imagine both of us, as young children poking each other in the back seat during a long car ride.

What can we gain from holding on to such petty slights, insults, and grudges.

Absolutely nothing.

How much lighter we feel when we lay down the weight of grievances, grudges, and resentments.

Humility, mutual love, forgiveness and loving God before all else are the practices we need to live into as Christians in community. These qualities reinforce and build on each other. Practicing humility in ourselves enables others to love us more easily. Loving each other as we love ourselves and humility before others and God enables forgiveness. Mutual forgiveness enables mutual love and peace in the community.  

The result of this virtuous circle are the fruits of the Spirit, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Patience, Gentleness, and Self Control. 

These blessings are the result of the difficult work of forgiving others as we have been forgiven.

This is the good work that Jesus asks of all of us.

Are we ready to forgive.

Genesis 50:15-21

Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, ‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Romans 14:1-12

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

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. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Matthew 18:21-35

Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 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?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”