The Sermon on the Mount: A 21-Day Guide to the Greatest Sermon Ever PreachedSample

Unforgivable

Through this third movement of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has taught us how to love God with all we are. In today’s reading, He utters a statement that would have shocked His original audience—and should still shock us today. Let’s check it out.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15 NIV

Is Jesus saying that being forgiven by God is dependent on our willingness to forgive others?

Yep.

That may seem intense and even unfair—but, actually, it’s pretty much the textbook definition of “fair.” Consider this …

In another teaching on forgiveness, Jesus tells a story about a man who owed a king a massive debt. He couldn’t pay and begged for his life. As an act of mercy, the king forgave this man’s entire debt, wiping the slate clean. After this, the man—who had just been forgiven—did something unthinkable. He tracked down a servant who owed him a small debt and began to violently threaten him, demanding he pay him back immediately. Despite the servant’s begging, the recently-forgiven man showed no mercy. Eventually, word got back to the king. He was furious! He brought the first man back, questioned him, and threw him in prison until he could repay his debt in full.

What’s the point of this story? We cannot be right with God (the king) and be wrong with others (the servant). It doesn’t work like that—because our righteousness (our rightness with God) is demonstrated in how we treat others. Other people aren’t just servants of our King, they are children of our Father! And like any good father, God is not okay with people mistreating His kids.

Said another way, we can’t claim to know God, serve God, and love God while withholding mercy and kindness from people made in His image. We’d just be lying to ourselves.

In fact, in 1 John, we read that “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20 NIV).

Somehow and in some way, when we offer forgiveness to others, we open ourselves up to receive forgiveness from God. But, when we refuse to forgive others, we cut ourselves off from God’s forgiveness.

Pastor and author Eugene Peterson paraphrases Jesus’ warning like this: “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part” (Matthew 6:14-15 MSG).

So, what’s the solution? How do we avoid being cut off from God’s forgiveness? We pray—and practice—what Jesus taught us.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 NIV

The Lord’s Prayer is found right at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount. Why? Because praying this prayer, in cooperation with the power of God’s Spirit, is how we get this sermon into our hearts so it plays out in our lives.

What did Jesus say?

The way you forgive others is how God will forgive you. So, forgive them graciously, generously, and mercifully.

What did Jesus do?

As Jesus hung on a Roman cross, suffering in humble submission to God and with extravagant love for the world, He offered mercy to His murderers.

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” … Luke 23:33-34 NIV

How can I apply that to my life today?

Today, remember that God has forgiven you, and you can choose to forgive anyone who offends you. The Apostle Paul models this well.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:12-13 NLT

As you head into your day, ask God to show you who you need to ask forgiveness from and who you need to offer forgiveness to. Then, go do it!