Three brothers could not divide seventeen camels between them until an old neighbour added an animal of his own to the herd. That anecdote opens a sermon about real conflicts, which no clever idea can solve, they call for facing another person’s weakness, our own, and our sense of having been wronged. In Matthew 18 Jesus gives very concrete steps: go and speak face to face, and then forgive not seven but seventy-seven times. Listen to why forgiveness always costs something, and why withholding it costs far more.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus lays out a series of steps: a private conversation, a conversation with one or two witnesses, and finally bringing the matter before the church. According to the sermon, what is the purpose of each step?
- Peter asks whether he should forgive up to seven times, and Jesus answers seventy-seven times. What did this answer say to Peter, given that the rabbis taught that three chances were enough?
- The story of the extra camel shows that some conflicts can be solved with a creative idea. How are situations where someone has truly hurt us different from those?
- What makes it easier for you to talk about a hurt with friends or post about it online than to go to that person directly, and what do we lose by avoiding a face to face conversation?
- The servant whose enormous debt was cancelled refused to cancel his coworker's debt of a hundred dollars. How does knowing how much God has forgiven you change the way you see people who have hurt you?
- The sermon says forgiveness is costly, but unforgiveness costs even more. What hurt are you still clinging to, and what first step toward forgiveness or a personal conversation can you take this week?
