WEBVTT 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.319 Blessed be God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:44.479 Blessed be God with everything, now and forever. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:45.360 Amen. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:46.560 Let's pray together. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:50.560 Almighty God, to you all hearts are open. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:52.319 All desires know. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:55.360 And from you know the secrets are hid. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:08.719 Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name through Christ our Lord. 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:09.360 Amen. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:29.120 Let us pray. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:54.399 Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart and united to one another with pure affection through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:55.759 Amen. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.839 A College for Independence Day. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:05.199 Lord God Almighty, in whose name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:09.360 And let the torture freedom for nations then unborn. 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:17.279 Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and in peace. 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:24.160 Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:25.360 Amen. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:31.439 As you're being seated, our children, grades five and below, are invited to godly play in the back of Emory. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:46.800 A reading from one Samuel. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:54.160 Now Samuel was ministering in the presence of the Holy One of old, a boy dressed in a linen ether. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:07:00.000 A little robe would his mother make for him and bring up to him year by year. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:04.399 When she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:18.959 And Eli would bless Al Cana and his wife and say, May the Holy One repay you, Ocana, proceed from this woman in place of the request she made to the fount of water. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:21.600 And then they would return to their home. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:29.279 And the faithful one attended Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to two daughters and three sons. 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:33.519 And the boy Samuel grew up there in the presence of the living God. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:40.879 Now the boy Samuel went on and grew in goodness with the Most High and with humanity. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:43.600 The word of the Lord. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:03.759 Praise the living God. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.360 I will give thanks to the Holy God with my whole heart. 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:16.000 Great are the works of the Creator of all. 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:23.120 Glorious and majestic is her work. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:29.920 She has made a monument of her own wonder. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.919 She provides meat for those who revere her. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:59.039 Set up for all time. 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:06.000 She sent redemption to her people. 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:09.279 She has commanded her covenant for all time. 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:20.639 The beginning of wisdom is the reverence of the ever living God, a good understanding of all those who do so. 00:09:56.559 --> 00:10:01.360 You yourselves know, sisters and brothers, our coming to you was not in vain. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:07.519 On the contrary, we had suffered previously and been mistreated and Philippi, as you know. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:15.519 We had coverage and courage in our God to declare to you all the gospel of God in spite of much opposition. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:21.360 For our exhortation is not from deceit or corruption or trickery. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:33.759 Rather, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so do we speak, not to please women or men, but to please God who tests our hearts. 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:41.200 Now we never came with a word of flattery, as you all know, or with a pretext for greed. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.039 God is our witness. 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:52.799 Nor did we seek praise from women and men, rather from you all or from others, we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 00:10:53.440 --> 00:11:00.000 Rather, we were childlike among you, even like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:12.639 Thus, so caring for you all, it is our pleasure to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also ourselves, because you have become beloved to us. 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:14.720 The word of the Lord. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:58.559 For this reason, the realm of heaven may be compared to a human ruler who wished to settle matters with their enslaved debtors. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:04.399 When the settlement began, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought forward. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:14.879 Since that one could not pay, the ruler ordered that enslaved person to be sold, together with thousand children in every possession, and thus to pay. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:20.240 So falling and kneeling before the ruler, the enslaved debtor and children in every possession. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:27.679 Oh, sorry, falling before the ruler, the enslaved debtor said, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:34.879 And out of compassion, the Lord of that enslaved person released that one and forgave the debt. 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:48.720 That same enslaved person who was owned a hundred denarii by another enslaved person, upon going out, came upon the debtor, and seizing that one by the throat said, Pay what you owe. 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:55.600 Then the indebted slave fell down and pled, Have patience with me, and I will pay you. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:02.879 But the other enslaved person was not willing, and went and threw the debtor into prison until the debt was paid. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:12.639 When those who were also enslaved saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their Lord all that had taken place. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:22.399 Then the Lord summoned the one whose debt was forgiven, saying, You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:26.879 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave as I had mercy on you? 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:35.360 And in anger the Lord handed that one over to the tor to be tortured until the entire debt could be paid. 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:42.960 So my heavenly Abba will also do to every one of you if you do not forgive your sister or brother from your heart. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.039 The gospel of the Lord. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:22.960 I mean, I hope you realize that we have to say, praise be to you, Lord Christ, every week, because man, at the end of that, I'm sure don't want to say that. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:26.799 I usually want to say something like, after this reading, God help us. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:33.599 And I want to suggest to you that there are a couple of things going on in this story that are at least worth unpacking. 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:41.680 Before that, I want you to know that my Bible, my NIV translation, has like little subject headings that are not part of the Bible. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:45.119 Translators have put them in there to help me know what's coming next. 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:49.759 And the frame for this story is the unmerciful servant. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:53.039 I almost guarantee you your Bible says that too. 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.200 I want to tell you that's probably the worst title for this passage. 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:58.960 I'm going to give you my title at the end. 00:17:59.119 --> 00:17:59.440 Okay? 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.839 A couple things I want to tell you up front. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:03.599 The numbers matter. 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:08.799 So seven is a very significant number biblically. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.359 Seven is the number of perfection. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:13.759 In Hebrew, it is the word Shabbat. 00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:16.000 Sound like any word you know? 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:18.559 Sabbath, right? 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:28.559 Peter says, if my brother or sister sin against me or trespass, if they owe me, how many times should I forgive them? 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:30.480 Sabbath times? 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:33.279 The perfect number? 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:36.079 Jesus says something really interesting. 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:38.559 And the translation could work a couple of ways. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:44.960 It could either say, not seven, but seventy-seven, or it could be rendered seven times seventy. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:53.119 Now, I'm a pretty meticulous keeper of records, particularly when people owe me stuff. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:19:00.880 But hopefully, if you're like me, any engineers in the room, hopefully you realize I could probably keep a debt of seven. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:07.200 I might even be able to keep 70, but when we're talking about seven times 70, 490? 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:10.480 Well, I need more than one spreadsheet for that. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:11.680 Right? 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:19.119 So, so this is a lot, but I want you to know that even this is doing something that happened in Genesis. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:22.319 If you if you go with me, I just want to say this quickly. 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:28.960 You might remember that once upon a time there were these two brothers, and one of them was jealous of the other and killed him. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:30.559 That's Cain killed Abel. 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:36.319 And Cain said to God, Wherever I go on the world, people will see me and kill me. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:39.519 The other only other people on the planet were his parents, so go figure. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:48.480 And God says, I'll put a mark on you, and if anybody harms you, I'll avenge you times seven. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:49.839 You know this one, right? 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:55.359 Okay, then within a couple generations, it gets even worse because there's this guy called Lamech. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:59.279 Somebody insults him and he murders him for insulting him. 00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:03.759 And then he comes home, probably drunk, and he goes to his wife. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:11.440 If he is avenged times seven, Lamech is avenged 77. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:15.440 You know, if you keep reading Genesis, things get worse. 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:18.000 The vengeance keeps getting higher. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:30.160 So it's likely that Jesus, who knew his scriptures, is suggesting we reverse the first later. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:44.880 I know it's the word flavor, but I hope you heard this is like this is a cow flavor. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:49.759 How much is it? 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:05.200 You have to be able to do it. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:56.960 How interesting. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:02.000 Does this thing that's so sweet, isn't it? 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:03.440 Be patient, I'll pay you back. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:05.519 There ain't enough money in the world to pay him back. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:08.640 There wasn't even enough money in the world to issue the debt to begin with. 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:09.839 I'll pay you back. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.000 And and and the liege lord says, I'll forgive the debt. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:17.519 Okay, then you get the he wants a hundred denarii. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:18.559 What's a hundred denarii? 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:19.920 That's a hundred days' wages. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:21.599 So think about what you earn every year. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:22.640 It's a third. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.880 It's a third of your annual salary. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:27.440 Still a significant amount of money, right? 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:29.839 But you could pay that back. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:33.039 You really find that out if you have a kid who goes to college. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:33.599 Right? 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:37.759 Or if you pay for a wedding, like you're figuring out what these things cost, right? 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:40.000 So you can pay that back. 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:43.680 I mean, the second servant actually is living in the world of reason. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:48.079 By the way, where do you think the first servant got the hundred denarii to lend? 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:50.799 Out of the thousand talents. 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:53.440 Isn't that interesting? 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:57.039 He wants to enforce a debt that was just forgiven him anyway. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:58.720 I mean, that's an interesting bit, right? 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:02.799 Now, I don't want to ask you to raise your hands, I kind of want to ask you to raise your hands. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:04.960 I'm not going to ask you to actually do it. 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:07.680 It's really clear what Jesus says, right? 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:09.039 It's really clear. 00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:12.960 Seven times 70 or 77, right? 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:22.240 By the time I get to the end of the story, I'm like, yeah, you unmerciful servant, you swine, you get tortured. 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:24.400 That's what you deserve. 00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:26.880 Don't raise your hand. 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:31.440 Does anybody else think that's how it ought to be? 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:36.240 Maybe I'm just preaching to myself. 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:43.759 I actually think Jesus tells the story to show how quickly we disregard basic instructions. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:50.240 I know the right answer is 77, and by the end, I won't even do it once. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:56.319 I think the parable should be called the unmerciful listener. 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:06.960 Because I think it draws out from us this fundamental burden most of us carry about things being even. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:15.599 And I've already said this. 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:25.279 So will my Abba treat you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:32.319 Well, if we didn't read that carefully, we sure could read that at the surface level and hear Jesus saying, forgive or else. 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:36.880 God, that sounds like me. 00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:42.960 I mean, in the history of interpretation, that is the read. 00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:46.960 And if you want to hear the Lord's prayer doing that, you do it all the time. 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:51.920 Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive other people. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:54.319 God, judge me how I judge other people. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:57.039 I don't want to pray that prayer, friends. 00:24:58.640 --> 00:25:00.240 Do you want to pray like that? 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:02.480 I mean, really, is that what you want? 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:08.079 I want God to be more lenient on me than I am on other people. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.799 I actually want God to be more lenient on me than I am on myself. 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:22.240 I'm usually the harshest judge on other people because I'm the harshest judge on me. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:35.839 Sometimes it makes me think about that African proverb: never accept a shirt from a naked man, which is that why forgiveness is so hard for us to give is because we don't do it to ourselves. 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:45.839 I wonder if Jesus is saying, actually, the God of our imagination is the one with which we treat ourselves with. 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:50.079 And that God is usually not worthy of worship. 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:51.759 The ones we imagine. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:56.799 That God sure looks a lot like unfettered capitalism, if you don't mind me saying so. 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:00.880 Beyond that. 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:11.279 Did you notice that the liege lord forgives the debt and then reinstates it? 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:16.000 Now, forgive me for bringing this up. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:18.799 I just thought once something was forgiven, it was. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:25.920 So actually, this is not even a story about conditional forgiveness. 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:30.559 This is a story about arbitrary mercy. 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:34.960 Is that God worthy of worship? 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:37.519 Not for me. 00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:42.319 Because I treat my children better than that. 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:48.079 So surely God treats us better than that. 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:52.480 Now, okay, a couple of thoughts on what's going on here. 00:26:52.799 --> 00:27:11.680 I told you before, maybe I used to see this therapist who said, you know, in a moment, in any moment when we're upset, and this is true whether you've had kids or you've been a sibling or whether you've had parents or whether you're a spouse of specialty, there is this like feeling we get in a moment that my therapist calls the 90-10 rule. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:18.799 90% of your consternation is from stuff that happened a long time ago or that you think could happen. 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:24.079 Like, oh my gosh, my child's handwriting is bad, they're gonna be dead in the gutter in 15 years. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:29.519 And so 90% of our anxiety and anger is about something not even there. 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:33.440 Only 10%, maybe, is about the actual thing. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:36.720 The 90-10 rule. 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:44.400 And I think that's so descriptive and applicable, because we're just like this person. 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:48.960 And actually, who's really good in the story, I don't even know. 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:52.400 Nobody seems particularly great in the story to me, right? 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:56.480 But I think because we're like that unmerciful servant. 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:07.680 You know, if you ask me, and I'm your priest, and there's days where I don't really know if I should be the professional and Christian in front of you, I understand that we need God's forgiveness, and I'd love to have it. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:11.599 But if I'm really honest with you, I think I'm gonna pay God back. 00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:18.720 I know you can't. 00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:22.160 But I think I can. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:26.240 And I don't want God to give it to me. 00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:28.160 I'm too proud for that. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:30.720 I want to earn it. 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:33.039 I don't want grace. 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:35.119 I want wages. 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:38.559 I don't want to relax. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:44.640 I want to get on the damn hamster wheel and run for my value in the kingdom of God. 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:47.920 I probably wouldn't be a priest if I didn't want that. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:51.599 Jim, would you be a priest if you didn't want that? 00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:53.359 Let's just be honest here. 00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:57.039 I don't think Jesus is telling us how to be. 00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:58.960 I think he's telling us how we are. 00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:02.960 I think he's telling us how we are. 00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:06.799 Now, maybe this touches you, maybe it doesn't. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:10.960 But you know, I used to talk about forgiveness as being a thing I give other people. 00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:17.119 And in that concept, I talk to kids about how forgiveness is really a lot like a measuring tape. 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:21.279 Anytime somebody pokes me, well, now I've got to keep some distance from you. 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:24.799 And the more you do it, right, the longer that gets, right? 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:29.359 Yeah, that happens pretty fast, right? 00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:41.839 And and it makes me think that forgiveness and grace, as different from what you hear in this parable, is not when I say, Well, I'll forgive you and you need to keep this work far away from me. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:50.000 Forgiveness might actually require us to like it probably takes that long, by the way, to really do it, right? 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:51.440 And a lot of wiggling. 00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:57.279 It takes us a while to reel the tape in, but I wonder if the opportunity isn't for us just to put the tape away. 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:08.400 I mean, my question conceptually is does God hold down a tape for each one of us and say, don't come any closer, you don't deserve it. 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:13.680 I know we say God isn't like that. 00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:16.400 Do you believe yourself when you say it? 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:19.759 Do you hear what I'm saying? 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:21.680 I trust that that's right. 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:23.359 I just don't believe it. 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:26.400 And so Jesus is talking to me. 00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:33.519 I wish I could give you three easy steps on how to put the tape away from your life. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:34.799 I wish. 00:30:35.119 --> 00:30:35.759 Even better. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:37.519 I wish I could sell you a pill. 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:44.799 And if you just took it, you might have a rough night, but in the morning, you would be saturated with God's grace. 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:46.480 I don't have that pill. 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:54.240 I just want to suggest to you, quite honestly, that there is something to me valuable about that 90-10 rule. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:31:02.720 Because I'll tell you, I used to be a math teacher, and one of the most valuable things I could give my students was grading their test and returning it the next day. 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:04.799 They never waited a week. 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.079 They got it back the next day. 00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:09.200 That's because I believe in instant feedback, right? 00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:12.160 How are you gonna learn from your mistakes if you don't know what they are? 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:23.039 And that puts me in the 90-10 rule because when I speak quickly, I speak from a legacy burden that says, you've got to earn grace, it's not given. 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:24.799 I'm just talking about me. 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:27.200 So I don't know about three easy steps. 00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:29.440 I'm gonna tell you about one really difficult step. 00:31:29.680 --> 00:31:30.559 Slow down. 00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:40.079 Because I think 90-10 is right, and the faster I speak, the more I'm in the 90. 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:41.599 The more I'm in. 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:45.359 Jesus, this is the 15th time you've left your plate in the sink. 00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:47.519 How many times do I have to tell you? 00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:55.359 Oh, by the way, have you ever given your kid or spouse mercy and then they didn't do what you wanted with it, and you brought up how merciful you were? 00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:01.599 Again, the parable describes me, but it doesn't prescribe how we ought to be. 00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:05.039 I mean, Jesus is really great at telling us who we are. 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:09.599 So that we'll realize we don't have to be this people. 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:14.480 So, so what would it take to be in the 80-20 rule? 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:20.319 It would take me saying, I know you want a response from me right now, and boy, I sure want to give you one. 00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:23.119 It'll be best for us if I just have a second. 00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:29.359 And then maybe I actually could pray that line from the Lord's Prayer. 00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:39.279 Forgive us our trespasses as we are trying to forgive those who trespass against us. 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:45.920 Instead of asking God to treat us the way we treat other people, which would be worshiping ourselves, wouldn't it? 00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:56.000 Perhaps what we're doing in the Lord's Prayer is saying, I ah, help me to realize you're giving me grace so that that puts me on the road to give it to other people. 00:32:57.279 --> 00:33:10.400 I would suggest to you that if you have a hard time forgiving other people, like me, it is likely because you've got some work to do in forgiving yourself. 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:15.200 You cannot give what you don't have. 00:33:19.920 --> 00:33:23.920 I don't that means, I don't think that means you're gonna go to hell and be tortured when you die. 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:27.920 Actually, the story is telling us we're already living in hell. 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:34.000 It is hell to earn something that God would like to give you. 00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:44.960 I mean, I'm gonna leave today and I'm still gonna try to earn it. 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:46.240 I'm just gonna be honest with you. 00:33:48.319 --> 00:33:59.039 So I don't know how I get into the 000 rule, but maybe slowing down and saying, God, I want to not just trust in grace, I want to believe it. 00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:02.720 Maybe that could get us into the 80-20. 00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:03.599 I mean, maybe. 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:09.039 I would tell you if you're in the 50-50, you're in the 1% of the human population ever. 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:12.960 So you don't gotta be in the 000. 00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:15.440 Let's just get a little bit better than 90-10. 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:19.199 I mean, I think that's I think that's the suggestion here. 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:25.599 You know why we had the Reformation? 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:32.000 It wasn't about indulgences, it wasn't about clerical abuses. 00:34:33.039 --> 00:34:45.840 It was because Martin Luther was so neurotic that he wasn't sure he could ever be sorry enough for God to forgive him. 00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:54.079 I mean, he would wake up the confessor in the middle of the night because he had a dream that could have been dirty. 00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:59.679 He would wake up the confessor in the night because he wanted to be sorry, but he wasn't sure he was sorry enough. 00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:01.920 The confessor said, Martin, go back to bed. 00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:12.559 We had the Reformation because Martin Luther said, Why am I trying to earn something God is giving me? 00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:14.400 That's the reason, Prince. 00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:15.519 That's the reason. 00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:28.800 And if you look at Luther's life and you look at the Reformation since then, that idea was a one-off instead of an invitation to be a true disciple. 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:31.679 Luther went straight back to where he was. 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:34.559 Like I will, like you will. 00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:41.199 But I just want to hold up that this parable is a mirror so we can see how ugly that life is. 00:35:41.679 --> 00:35:47.039 And so that we can say, Fine, God, I'll take it. 00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:50.880 I'd rather earn it, but I'll take it. 00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:56.000 We have good spiritual directors who can help you get there. 00:35:56.159 --> 00:35:57.440 I'm not one of them. 00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:01.679 I don't just trust what I'm telling you. 00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:03.280 I believe it. 00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:09.920 I believe that's where God wants us to be because God knows we'll enjoy our life more. 00:36:11.760 --> 00:36:14.800 I believe it than I trust it. 00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:17.599 You're teaching me how to do it some more. 00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:19.519 And we just got to teach each other to do this work. 00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:23.039 We have to teach each other because I don't think any one person knows it. 00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:28.880 So happy better than 9010 week to you. 00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:33.039 I hope you'll at least make it to 89.11. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:38.880 And if you go back to 95.5, I'll be here with you next week.