Healing HighWay

Matthew 6:12 (KJV) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

The story I’m about to tell sounds like something out of a horror movie, but it’s real.
In recent years, scientists have discovered a kind of bacterial infection called necrotizing fas-ci-i-tis.
The waterborne bacteria species is a rapidly spreading but thankfully rare “flesh-eating” infection that results in the death of tissues. Necrotizing fasciitis can then trigger sepsis – the immune system’s potentially fatal response to infection, which can quickly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Once the bacteria enters a human body, it can multiply rapidly.
Within 24 hours, its victim begins to experience flu-like symptoms, severe thirst, and an extreme weakness.
Within 3-4 days, the limb, or area of the body most affected, will begin to swell, and dark blisters filled with blackish fluid will appear.
After 5 days, the victim’s blood pressure will drop severely, and they will go into toxic shock.
If it’s not discovered early, and treated quickly and aggressively, it can destroy a person’s health and well-being from the inside out and, eventually, take that person’s life.

Now, I know there’s one or two people here who, when you hear me describe this bacterium, think, I’m feeling a little queasy right now. . . And you’re starting to worry that you might have it--but don’t worry.
But I know there are others among us who are breathing a sigh of relief, thinking to yourself, I may not be the healthiest person in the room but at least I don’t have some bacteria eating away at me from the inside out! Right?
Well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.
Oh, I don’t think any of us have to worry about necrotizing fasciitis. It’s rare, probably less than a thousand or two cases a year.
But necrotizing fasciitis has its parallel in the spiritual realm, and just like its physical counterpart, this spiritual condition can fester and grow, and if it’s not discovered early, and treated quickly and aggressively, it can consume a person’s spirit and soul from the inside out and, eventually, rob that person of their spiritual life.

I’m talking about the hurts that live inside you, the personal, emotional, relational wounds, the result of something someone said, something someone did, something someone neglected to do, and something you might have done.
And those hurts--the hurts you didn’t ask for--if they’re not confronted and treated and healed, can eat away at your heart and spirit and affect your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Last Thursday night, we looked at John 11, and discussed “Compassion Healing” and the need of receiving compassion from God and from others as another important step in the healing process.

This morning, we’re going to look at a story Jesus told in Matthew, chapter 18, as we direct our attention to another step in the series “The Church that Heals.” “The Healing HighWay”

So let me ask you to turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew 18:23-35 (KJV)
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.
Wow. Jesus tells us like it is. I don’t know how he could make it any clearer: Forgiveness is a big deal.

And it’s a big deal not primarily because it’s bad for the people we won’t forgive; it’s a big deal because it’s bad for us, because it’s sinful, because it’ll eat away at us from the inside out and jeopardize our relationship with God!
That’s important to God!

So, I want to take our time together to focus on 3 things this morning:
The Parable, The Problem, and The Method.

1. The Parable

Look at Matthew 18 with me, starting at verse 23. This parable, which Jesus told after Peter had brought up the subject of forgiveness, has as its main character a “king” and one of his “servants.”

Now, when Jesus called this man a “servant,” he didn’t mean a butler, or gardener, or court jester, or anything along those lines. The kind of servant he’s most likely talking about is a high official, a budget director or chief financial officer or secretary of the treasury, that kind of thing. . . And important person who handled large sums of money.

So, in verse 24, Jesus says: 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Now, this was an enormous amount of debt. Think: billions of dollars.
In a day when the gross national product of the entire province of Galilee was only 300 talents. Jesus, chooses and unpayable amount to prove a point.
Now realize that 10,000 talents is about 200,000 years of labor! It is 60,000,000 working days. In modern money, it is $3.48 billion.

But, as verse 25 says, 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

In those days, this was how such a debt was met. Rather than filing for bankruptcy as we do now, it was common in ancient times for a man and his family and possessions to be sold for such a debt.

So, the servant did what any of us would do; BEG! look at verses 26 and 27: 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

Now, something very important is happening in those verses. Notice that the servant begs for time; `Be patient with me,’ he begged, `and I will pay back everything.’
But the king did not give him an extension, as he had asked. What did the king do? [PAUSE]
That’s right! “The servant’s master . . . cancelled the debt!”
CANCELLED THE DEBT!

That’s HUGE!
The servant begged for a little mercy; the master gave him unspeakable grace.
The servant wanted a chance to repay, the master erased the entire debt!
How would you like for ALL your debt to be cancelled? Today?

Now, let’s look at the Problem.

2. The Problem

I suspect you know without me telling you that the king in this story is our awesome Jesus, and the servant . . . is you, me, us, if you have received the forgiveness of sins that comes about because of salvation in Christ.
You--and I--have been forgiven an enormous debt, that we could never ever repay.
That incredible forgiveness is dramatized in a little story that has made its way around the internet. I don’t know who wrote it, but I wish I had. Let me read it to you:
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In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings.

The first to catch my attention was a file that read “Girls I Have Liked.” I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.

This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed". The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read", "Lies I Have Told", "Comfort I Have Given", "Jokes I Have Laughed At". Some were almost hilarious in their exactness. "Things I’ve Yelled at My Brothers".

Others I couldn’t laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents". I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes, fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume; could my short life really have produced each of these thousands, maybe millions, of cards? But each card confirmed it. Each was written in my own handwriting and signed with my signature.

When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts", I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

A sudden thought gripped me: No one must ever see these cards. No one must ever see this room I have to destroy them! In a frenzy, I yanked the file out. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But, as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot.

Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With". The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then, the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then, as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.

I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch; His face wore a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally, He turned and looked at me from across the room. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me.

He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me. Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over the top of mine on each card. "No!", I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no!”, as I pulled the card from Him.

His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished".

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
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Oh, what a debt we have each been forgiven!
Ten thousand talents, Ten BILLION talents can’t begin to measure all that God has forgiven me!

And yet, how often is our story similar to the servant in Jesus’ parable, who according to verses 28-31, went out, found someone who owed him a pittance, a hundred denarii, less than twenty bucks, and rather than forgiving as HE had been forgiven, makes him pay the full penalty of his little debt.

You see, if your sins have been forgiven by Jesus, you’ve had an incredible debt cancelled, erased.
So, if there’s any bitterness you’re harboring, anyone you’ve not forgiven, any lingering anger in your heart toward someone who’s hurt you, you’re acting like the ungrateful servant in Jesus’ parable....
And, like the flesh-eating bacteria I mentioned moments ago, that unforgiveness is causing more damage to you, to your heart, your spirit, than to anyone else. You are killing yourself!
In fact, according to Jesus’ parable, somehow, your unforgiveness will bring God’s judgment upon you!

That’s serious stuff. But the flip side is this: the great Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt, in her study on The Human Condition, identified only one power that can stop the inevitable stream of painful memories and bring about true emotional healing. She called it the “gift of forgiveness.”

So, what’s it going to take for us--for you, for me--to take the healing highway and exercise the “gift of forgiveness?”
Let take just a few more minutes to talk about the Method:

3. The Method

God’s Word commands us, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

That’s easier said than done, I know, but it is possible . . . And I believe that the process of forgiving--which is critical if you really want to heal the hurts in your life -- consists of three things. The first is:

A. Confronting

The first step in the process of forgiving someone who has wronged you is by taking accountability.
• That may mean coming to grips with the part you may have played--any wrongs you may have committed--toward the person who hurt you.
• It may mean facing the fact that the hurt you experiencing is mixed in with some hurt you caused!
• It may mean facing the need to forgive yourself as a first step toward forgiving someone else.
Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 %) and when they were physically tired (57 %). Resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer (84 %), avoiding compromising situations (76 %), Bible study (66 %), and being accountable to someone (52 %). Discipleship Journal, November / December 1992.
But that’s not all; the second step is . . .

B. Forgiveness

Lewis Smedes, in his book, Forgive and Forget, writes: “When you forgive someone for hurting you, you perform spiritual surgery inside your soul; you cut away the wrong that was done to you...”

The “gift of forgiveness” must come from our will to forgive. God tells us to forgive, and he never tells us to do something we have no control over. So, forgiving means to decide, to make a choice, to let go of the wrong that has been done to us, to throw out the scorecard, to erase the debt.
Does that sound too hard? It can be hard. But sometimes it helps to make a symbolic gesture that will help bring your emotions into line with your spirit. Like writing down the wrongs you choose to forgive and then burning them as a way of letting them go. Or burying a hatchet, the way some American tribes did--just don’t mark the spot so you can come back later and dig it up!

But how do you know if your forgiveness has taken root? Smedes suggests, “You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.”
Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was reminded one day of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before. But she acted as if she had never even heard of the incident. "Don't you remember it?" her friend asked. "No," came Barton's reply, "I distinctly remember forgetting it."
This leads us to the next point…

C. Forgetting

Now, don’t misunderstand me. When you decide to forgive someone, you don’t suddenly forget--poof! --just like that.

And, to quote Smedes again, “we should not make forgetting a test of our forgiving. The test of forgiving lies with healing the lingering pain of the past, not with forgetting that the past ever happened.”

BUT once you truly forgive someone, the healing that follows forgiveness will place a growing distance between you and the thing you’ve forgiven.
It’s sort of like letting go of a “Hot Air” balloon. Once you release the balloon into the air, it will be taken farther and farther away until, sometime in the future, you’ll lose sight of it.
That’s what can happen when you forgive someone. Once you let go of the wrong that was done to you, the spirit of your forgiveness will take your memory of the hurt farther and farther away until, sometime in the future, you’ll lose sight of it.
There’s a story about a city dweller who was visiting relatives on a farm and the farmer gave a whistle and his dog herded the cattle into the corral, then latched the gate with her paw. "Wow, that’s some dog. What’s her name?" The forgetful farmer thought a minute, then asked, "What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?" "A rose?" "That’s it!" The farmer turned to his wife. "Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?"

That’s the healing way:
Confronting, Forgiveness, Forgetting.

“Jesus uses the toughest way in the book- forgiveness--and says we must give it, or we are out in the cold, sucked into the blackhole of unforgiven . . . Why is Jesus so tough on us? He is tough because the thought of sinners refusing to forgive sinners is something Heaven will not tolerate.”

But if we can choose the healing highway and choose- God helping us--to forgive those who “have trespassed against us,” we can then experience healing and unity in our hearts, in our relationships, and change our future by healing the past.

Is there anyone here this morning who will allow God to help them heal the past?
Is there anyone here who will choose the healing way?
Is there anyone who’s willing to say, “I forgive?”
Is there anyone who needs help saying that?

Isn’t that why we are here?

I invite you, in the final moments of our time together, as we sing a chorus or two, to start walking the Healing Highway and exercising the “gift of forgiveness,” and reach out to God in prayer, reach out to someone in forgiveness, reach out for prayer and support in starting that process, and I want you to know, if you’d like someone to talk to or pray with you, I’m sure there is someone standing close by that will be glad to help lead you through the Healing HighWay.

But whatever you decide, please obey the Holy Spirit as it speaks to you, and let it begin--or continue--
the healing process in your heart and life.