Matthew 18:15-35
An apt and timely passage in my home, as we have recently seen our son sin against his sister. It has been great to read through this passage with the two of them this week, lingering on the importance of forgiveness. In my several readings of this, however, one thing particularly stood out. I noted that nearly the same words Jesus spoke to Peter back in Matthew 16:19 (which I neglected to write about due to my recovery from minor surgery)--words about binding and loosing.
In the first instance, in Matthew 16, these words were spoken to Peter after the Lord had proclaimed that He gave to Peter the "keys of the kingdom of heaven." While I understood keys to represent authority--a master might give a trusted servant the keys to the estate--I was not so sure about binding and loosing. On this second occurrence of the phrase, I felt that I needed to grasp it and so did a little research. As it turns out, the terms translated as "bind" and "loose" refer to authority, as well! They were commonly used in Jewish culture to denote what is and is not lawful. As Jesus uses them here specifically in the context of discipline against an unrepentant sinner--church discipline, if you will--and He is giving the authority to declare lawful and unlawful to the disciples, it stands to reason that He is giving them the authority to oversee this new church as it forms. This authority will soon become invaluable when the Gentiles begin to believe in Christ and the apostles prayerfully confer about what parts of Jewish law are indispensable to all and what points apply specifically to God's covenant with His chosen people specifically.
I think the reason this binding and loosing discussion so intrigued me is from something that occurred early in my relationship with my God. I recall hearing many people asking God to bind spirits of this or that, and I assumed that they derived this prayer from these passages. However, it always bothered me that Jesus's own disciples never prayed that way. When brought before the Jewish leaders and warned against preaching Christ, Peter and John did not pray to "bind the spirit of opposition," but rather that God would grant them to speak His word with boldness. They understood their God-given authority and they did cast out demons and perform wonders. They also understood, however, the meaning of "binding" and "loosing" not to be the literal tying-up of certain powers but the authority over the church to determine, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, what would and would not be lawful for the believer in Christ, whether Gentile or Jew. Call me a nerd, but I was completely fascinated by this clarification, and had prayed for years for understanding of what Jesus meant in those two passages.
Beyond that little side trip of mine, I have to say that I have firsthand been able to experience the power of God's forgiveness. I remember when it finally hit me that I, even I, as horrible as my life had been until Christ, was completely and utterly forgiven. Once I really got my head around that, I found that it was difficult for me not to forgive others, for no one has ever sinned against me as badly as I have sinned against my Lord. However, I do confess that unforgiveness does occasionally worm its way into my heart from time to time. God is faithful in any and every occasion to bring it to my attention and I address it. I forgive. Not because I want to, but because I have been forgiven.
I have been able to forgive others who have used me in the past, and I am reminded not to hold a grudge against those who use me now. I am able to let go of all the hurts that have been perpetrated against me, even the heinous ones when I was a very young gal and the perpetrator was a middle-aged man. It is liberating. The greatest revelation for me was when I realized that by forgiving others, I was only releasing myself. Every wrong, whether real or perceived, done against me is truly not between me and the other person, but between them and God. All sin, in fact, is between the sinner and God. The rest--the effect on me--is merely consequence. That was the eye-opener for me. I am not really a part of the equation, at least, not unless I make myself a part. If I can live and walk and breathe forgiveness, then I leave the judgement of sin up to the rightful Judge, I spare myself the anxiety of caring whether or not justice is done, and I trust God to bring glory to Himself out of the situation.
And above all, I can relish the bountiful fruit of forgiveness, both as a recipient and as the one forgiving! Now does this mean that I never put up boundaries or that I extend trust to someone who has hurt or taken advantage of me in the past? By no means! However, I place my boundaries under the leading hand of my Lord, letting Him determine what is and is not too far. I do not have to worry about being used, you see, but only about obeying God. I do not have to say, "yes," to everyone--only to those God calls me to say "yes" to. And if I feel it is too far, well then I am reminded of what I have been forgiven of, and I am humbled to do God's will anyway, trusting Him with the results. I am no longer bound by chains of my own animosity.
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:34-36
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:34-36
In the first instance, in Matthew 16, these words were spoken to Peter after the Lord had proclaimed that He gave to Peter the "keys of the kingdom of heaven." While I understood keys to represent authority--a master might give a trusted servant the keys to the estate--I was not so sure about binding and loosing. On this second occurrence of the phrase, I felt that I needed to grasp it and so did a little research. As it turns out, the terms translated as "bind" and "loose" refer to authority, as well! They were commonly used in Jewish culture to denote what is and is not lawful. As Jesus uses them here specifically in the context of discipline against an unrepentant sinner--church discipline, if you will--and He is giving the authority to declare lawful and unlawful to the disciples, it stands to reason that He is giving them the authority to oversee this new church as it forms. This authority will soon become invaluable when the Gentiles begin to believe in Christ and the apostles prayerfully confer about what parts of Jewish law are indispensable to all and what points apply specifically to God's covenant with His chosen people specifically.
I think the reason this binding and loosing discussion so intrigued me is from something that occurred early in my relationship with my God. I recall hearing many people asking God to bind spirits of this or that, and I assumed that they derived this prayer from these passages. However, it always bothered me that Jesus's own disciples never prayed that way. When brought before the Jewish leaders and warned against preaching Christ, Peter and John did not pray to "bind the spirit of opposition," but rather that God would grant them to speak His word with boldness. They understood their God-given authority and they did cast out demons and perform wonders. They also understood, however, the meaning of "binding" and "loosing" not to be the literal tying-up of certain powers but the authority over the church to determine, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, what would and would not be lawful for the believer in Christ, whether Gentile or Jew. Call me a nerd, but I was completely fascinated by this clarification, and had prayed for years for understanding of what Jesus meant in those two passages.
Beyond that little side trip of mine, I have to say that I have firsthand been able to experience the power of God's forgiveness. I remember when it finally hit me that I, even I, as horrible as my life had been until Christ, was completely and utterly forgiven. Once I really got my head around that, I found that it was difficult for me not to forgive others, for no one has ever sinned against me as badly as I have sinned against my Lord. However, I do confess that unforgiveness does occasionally worm its way into my heart from time to time. God is faithful in any and every occasion to bring it to my attention and I address it. I forgive. Not because I want to, but because I have been forgiven.
I have been able to forgive others who have used me in the past, and I am reminded not to hold a grudge against those who use me now. I am able to let go of all the hurts that have been perpetrated against me, even the heinous ones when I was a very young gal and the perpetrator was a middle-aged man. It is liberating. The greatest revelation for me was when I realized that by forgiving others, I was only releasing myself. Every wrong, whether real or perceived, done against me is truly not between me and the other person, but between them and God. All sin, in fact, is between the sinner and God. The rest--the effect on me--is merely consequence. That was the eye-opener for me. I am not really a part of the equation, at least, not unless I make myself a part. If I can live and walk and breathe forgiveness, then I leave the judgement of sin up to the rightful Judge, I spare myself the anxiety of caring whether or not justice is done, and I trust God to bring glory to Himself out of the situation.
And above all, I can relish the bountiful fruit of forgiveness, both as a recipient and as the one forgiving! Now does this mean that I never put up boundaries or that I extend trust to someone who has hurt or taken advantage of me in the past? By no means! However, I place my boundaries under the leading hand of my Lord, letting Him determine what is and is not too far. I do not have to worry about being used, you see, but only about obeying God. I do not have to say, "yes," to everyone--only to those God calls me to say "yes" to. And if I feel it is too far, well then I am reminded of what I have been forgiven of, and I am humbled to do God's will anyway, trusting Him with the results. I am no longer bound by chains of my own animosity.
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:34-36
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:34-36
Praise God for the freedom of forgiveness today!
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