Speaking of Life 5043│Too Good to Be True
This week we’re sharing a Speaking of Life message from our archive as a supplemental resource. We encourage you to use this for reflection and preparation, or small group discussion. For your worship gathering, consider how a call to worship from a local voice or contextualized introduction to the theme might serve your congregation well.
Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLIlNJHPI6M
Program Transcript
Speaking of Life 5043│Too Good to Be True
Jeff Broadnax
You’ve probably experienced a situation that just didn’t make sense to you. It was too good to be true, and you weren’t sure if you should believe it. Well, you’re in good company because Jesus shared a parable in Matthew 18 about God’s way of moving in the world that definitely sounds too good to be true.
The story begins with a slave in debt to a king for a lot of money, and he couldn’t pay it back. When the slave acknowledged his inability to repay and asked for more time, the king had a surprising response. Let’s read it together:
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.
Matthew 18:23-30 (NRSVUE)
If we look at the context of this parable, we see it’s a response to Peter’s question about how many times he was required to forgive someone. Though we don’t know why the first slave behaved as he did, we might speculate that his reaction was selfish human nature, accepting the forgiveness of his own debt, but being unwilling to do that for others.
We also could speculate that the first slave was afraid and didn’t trust the king. The slave couldn’t believe the forgiveness was true, and so he reacted out of fear. He terrorized those who owed him money because he didn’t believe the king would treat him so graciously.
From this story, we might deduce that this slave didn’t know the king’s character, and as a result, he didn’t trust him. He wasn’t sure the king would keep his word about the forgiven debt. As a result, he transmitted his fear about his financial matters to those who owed him money, and he behaved as if his debt was not taken care of.
This parable from Jesus gives us a chance to consider how we feel about forgiveness. Do we believe we’re forgiven for our sins and brought into a loving relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? If we do, then that belief will inform our relationships with others.
When we grasp that we’re known and loved despite our shortcomings, we’re more willing to love and accept others despite their shortcomings. Instead of acting selfishly or transmitting fear and behaving as if we have to earn the right to be forgiven, loved, and included, we can relax into the loving arms of God.
It might seem too good to be true, but if we believe Jesus came to show us God’s heart for humanity, we know we can trust that we’re forgiven and in the right relationship with God. And when something is that good, we have to pass it on to others. Rather than transmitting fear, we lovingly extend grace and forgiveness to others, trusting that there are some things that aren’t too good to be true. This helps them understand that they are also under the Father’s forgiveness.
May we believe in God’s goodness and love, trusting that it’s not too good to be true, knowing we’re forgiven, and extending the same grace to others.
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
Program Transcript
Speaking of Life 5043│Too Good to Be True
Jeff Broadnax
You’ve probably experienced a situation that just didn’t make sense to you. It was too good to be true, and you weren’t sure if you should believe it. Well, you’re in good company because Jesus shared a parable in Matthew 18 about God’s way of moving in the world that definitely sounds too good to be true.
The story begins with a slave in debt to a king for a lot of money, and he couldn’t pay it back. When the slave acknowledged his inability to repay and asked for more time, the king had a surprising response. Let’s read it together:
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.
Matthew 18:23-30 (NRSVUE)
If we look at the context of this parable, we see it’s a response to Peter’s question about how many times he was required to forgive someone. Though we don’t know why the first slave behaved as he did, we might speculate that his reaction was selfish human nature, accepting the forgiveness of his own debt, but being unwilling to do that for others.
We also could speculate that the first slave was afraid and didn’t trust the king. The slave couldn’t believe the forgiveness was true, and so he reacted out of fear. He terrorized those who owed him money because he didn’t believe the king would treat him so graciously.
From this story, we might deduce that this slave didn’t know the king’s character, and as a result, he didn’t trust him. He wasn’t sure the king would keep his word about the forgiven debt. As a result, he transmitted his fear about his financial matters to those who owed him money, and he behaved as if his debt was not taken care of.
This parable from Jesus gives us a chance to consider how we feel about forgiveness. Do we believe we’re forgiven for our sins and brought into a loving relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? If we do, then that belief will inform our relationships with others.
When we grasp that we’re known and loved despite our shortcomings, we’re more willing to love and accept others despite their shortcomings. Instead of acting selfishly or transmitting fear and behaving as if we have to earn the right to be forgiven, loved, and included, we can relax into the loving arms of God.
It might seem too good to be true, but if we believe Jesus came to show us God’s heart for humanity, we know we can trust that we’re forgiven and in the right relationship with God. And when something is that good, we have to pass it on to others. Rather than transmitting fear, we lovingly extend grace and forgiveness to others, trusting that there are some things that aren’t too good to be true. This helps them understand that they are also under the Father’s forgiveness.
May we believe in God’s goodness and love, trusting that it’s not too good to be true, knowing we’re forgiven, and extending the same grace to others.
I’m Jeff Broadnax, Speaking of Life.
Psalm 114:1–8 • Exodus 14:19–31 • Romans 14:1–12 • Matthew 18:21–35
Today’s theme is God makes himself known. Our call to worship psalm recalls God’s mighty triumph over Egypt in delivering Israel from its grip. The Old Testament reading from Exodus tells the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt involving a pillar of fire and cloud, a dividing of the Red Sea, and the destruction of an empire’s army. The epistolary reading from Romans presents Paul’s discussion on how the Christian community, in light of God’s universal reign, should regard relationships between the “weak” and the “strong.” The Gospel text in Matthew presents Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant in response to a question couched with limits on forgiveness.
Reminder: This introductory paragraph is intended to show how the four RCL selections for this week are connected and to assist the preacher prepare the sermon. It is not intended to be included in the sermon.
How to use this sermon resource.
God Makes Himself Known
Exodus 14:19–31 ESV
Last Sunday, as we followed the story of Exodus, the tension paused for a moment. Pharaoh, who has enslaved the Israelites, refuses to let them go, But God is already working to set the Israelites free. We read last week how God gave Moses and Aaron instructions about the Passover, a meal meant to remember how he rescued Israel from Egypt. Today’s story is where that rescue reaches its dramatic peak.
Pharaoh keeps opposing God, but it’s a losing battle because no one can stand against God’s power and might. The tension builds to its highest point, and the Israelites — and really the whole world — see an incredible act of rescue.
In fact, the event is so spectacular, the story is intentionally told in a way to reflect the Genesis account of creation. What takes place at the Red Sea is unlike anything that had happened before. So, we can say that it is a pointer or signpost to new creation. It is not just another story to tell. The Israelites passing thru the Red Sea from slavery to freedom points forward to God’s ultimate rescue and the finished work of Christ that brings new creation.
New creation is not God throwing this world away and starting over. The Creator became part of creation in order to rescue us from our own sinfulness, to make his broken creation new. New creation is God renewing, restoring, redeeming his creation from the inside out through his Son.
For Israel, all things are about to become new. However, before we read the account, let’s be clear as to what is becoming new. The story is not about God becoming “new” or changing in some way. God does not change. God has always had the same heart, character, and purpose toward us.
The God we see in this story is the same God we see in Jesus Christ. The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. What’s new is that both Israel and Egypt will come to know God. They will come to know who God is through what he does.
God makes himself known. He makes himself known through his mighty acts for the whole world to see. God reveals himself through his words and actions — what’s new is Israel’s and Egypt’s knowledge and understanding of God. With that in mind, let’s brace ourselves for this incredible story about who God is.
9 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Exodus 14:19–31 ESV
Like we said, there are similarities in this story to the creation account at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis. For starters, in Genesis (1:2b), God’s Spirit was hovering over the waters. Spirit (ruach) in this place means breath, wind, or spirit. While in Exodus, we have a mighty wind blowing over the waters of the Red Sea. We also see in both accounts light being created in a place of darkness. Both record water being divided from water. In both, God gathers water so dry land might appear. That’s too many connections to be coincidental. Why not read all of Genesis 1 today?
The Exodus author wants us to see that God’s deliverance of Israel is like God making a new creation. God is once again creating out of nothing. He is forming a people. God makes a slave nation into his own people who have been set free to serve him. They’re “nobodies” by anyone’s estimate. They’re oppressed and powerless. And never before on the world scene has a group of slaves been freed from a mighty empire. Great empires had slaves, and that was just how things were done. No one ever questioned it. None of Egypt’s false gods would free slaves. So, this is a massive revelation of who God is. A revelation is God showing us who he is.
God makes himself known.
Let’s look at the four verses that come before our text today:
The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:15–18 ESV
God wasn’t just bringing Israel further into knowing him. He wanted their enemies to know him as well.
We shouldn’t think of God “hardening the hearts” of the Egyptians or Pharaoh as God making hearts hard that would have otherwise been soft. This is just a way of saying that God worked in such a way as to bring out what was already there. Pharoah had already chosen evil and pride; God simply allowed it to become fully visible.
As the story goes on, Pharaoh keeps refusing to listen to God or let the people go. Each time Pharoah does this, his heart becomes harder, showing a stubbornness that was already there.
We can think of Pharaoh as a stand-in for any evil ruler that refuses to acknowledge God and insists on his own rule. Pharaoh represents every power that sets itself against God, every force or pull on us that says, “I don’t need God. I will rule my own life.” Ultimately, we can see Pharaoh as a picture of sin and of Satan himself. The story is bigger than just one man.
The bigger picture is God desires to be known by his children. God makes himself known. And he does this by delivering his people and making judgement on their enemies. That revelation is so all people can see who God is and repent and turn to him. Knowing who God is becomes the first step into our experiencing the freedom he has for us.
Our freedom is secured in Christ. It is secured by what God in Jesus has done on our behalf, without any consent or action on our part. But how can we subjectively — in our real everyday lives — experience, participate in, and live in that freedom unless we know God? Faith is trusting God is who he says he is. How do we trust God if we do not know him?
Jesus is the true and final self-revelation of who God is. Jesus is also seeking to reveal the nature, character, heart, and purpose of the triune God to all. His aim is also to set us free in the knowledge of who he is. Perhaps that is one reason Jesus often pressed people to answer the question “who do you say that I am?”
God is not hiding. God makes himself known.
He is revealing himself. He created human beings for relationship with him, and the deepest purpose of salvation is not simply escaping danger. Salvation is God’s rescue from sin and death and participation in the new life in him.
When we look at Jesus, we see the Father’s heart. We see God’s compassion, holiness, forgiveness, and love. The Father draws us, the Son reveals the Father, and the Spirit opens our hearts to receive that revelation. This is the loving work of the triune God.
Let’s take a look at the story again. How is God making himself known through the parting of the Red Sea?
First, God reveals to us that he is truly God and has no rival. Pharaoh refused to even acknowledge that Yahweh (God’s name in the Old Testament) was a god worth responding to. Pharaoh repeatedly ignored God’s words. However, by the end of the story, after all of Egypt’s false gods are laid waste and Pharaoh’s army is destroyed, even Pharaoh came to know that Israel’s God cannot be overcome by evil.
This revelation gets shown again in the life and ministry of Jesus in the New Testament. Many of Jesus’ actions revealed that he was God and nothing was able to stop him from delivering his people, not even death. In fact, death was not a mere obstacle to get passed. It was through death that Jesus delivered us.
Second, God shows us that he protects and provides. Imagine what Israel felt that night: children crying, parents afraid, the sound of chariots drawing near, the sea in front of them, and no escape. Yet before God opened a path through the sea, he placed himself between his people and their enemy. The pillar of cloud stood guard. Israel could not save themselves; God protected them. Then he provided a way where there was no way.
Jesus, during his life and ministry, also provided in miraculous ways the needs of many. It was Jesus who stood between an angry mob and a defenseless woman caught in adultery. How often did Jesus act in ways that revealed that God provides and protects?
In Jesus, God has placed himself between us and our enemy. And after his death on the cross, the great enemy was forever defeated, never again to enslave God’s children.
Third, God reveals that he is judge over all that stands against his people. God would not let Pharaoh, his army, or his supposed gods have final say over his people. God acted against all the Egyptians who pursued Israel until “not one of them remained.” This is a God who will not allow even one threat to his people to remain.
We see the same revelation again in the actions of Jesus. All that stands against God’s children — sin, death, and evil — was judged on the cross and will not have the final say.
Fourth, God shows us that he wants to be known. His patient dealings with Israel and his sustained resistance to Pharaoh both show that our God will go to any length to reveal himself to us. He has made us for himself, and he will not let up until we come to know him for who he is.
God does not remain hidden and unknown. He doesn’t want his children to have a false knowledge of who he is. He seeks to be known in order to have the relationship with us that he created us for.
And this was the heartbeat of Jesus throughout his entire life and ministry. He sought to reveal his Father to us, the same Father we see saving Israel at the Red Sea. It is this God who has come down to us in Jesus Christ to reconcile us to his Father who we did not know.
Jesus tells us in John 17:3:
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3 NIV
That is why we see in this story and in the life and ministry of Jesus, the triune God’s unyielding heart toward bringing us to know him for who he is.
You could go back through Exodus and find more actions that reveal who God is. For Israel, these revelations led to this response recorded in the last verse of our reading:
Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Exodus 14:31 ESV
Everything the Lord did for Israel brought them to a place of trusting in the Lord. This trust would be tested in the rest of the book. We will come to see that Israel, and all humanity, will ultimately need a fuller revelation of God for their faith and worship. This fuller revelation comes to us in the Person of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus becomes the perfect self-revelation of God. He knows his Father, and by the Spirit, shares his perfect knowing with us. Jesus tells us that “no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27 ESV). Jesus is continuing to reveal himself and his Father through his word by the Spirit. He seeks to make of us all a new creation, a creation that is set on a new basis of being children who know the Father and worship him in faith, hope, and love.
As we come to know who God is as revealed in Jesus Christ, we can respond much like the Israelites did after finding themselves safe on the other side of the Red Sea. Chapter 15 records that their first response is a song of joyful praise and thanksgiving. They celebrated not only the amazing rescue they just experienced but also what this event showed them about who God is.
God makes himself known.
On the other side of the sea, they no longer had to ask who is God?
Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11 ESV
Of course, no one is like our God. And because Jesus Christ has revealed to us who the Father is, we are enabled to discern all the competing, false gods made by human hands. That discernment protects us from falling for the deceit and destruction that comes by worshiping gods that are no gods at all. In this way, Jesus’ revelation of the Father is also another way he provides and protects us, just like he did the Israelites at the crossing of the Red Sea.
Even when we cannot see him, God is at work to rescue us. God comes down. God does not abandon us. God keeps his promises.
When God makes himself known, we are called to respond. When we come to know God in all his glory, we share that knowledge with those who do not know him. We remind one another of who God has revealed himself to be.
Father is still drawing people to himself, the Son is still revealing the Father, and the Spirit is still at work in human hearts.
This is the continuing work of Jesus by the Spirit that the Church is privileged to participate in. To share with one another, by way of worship, the reminder of who God is. And by way of witness, to worship our Lord by sharing him with others who have yet come to know him. In so doing, we join all the freed Israelites on the shore of freedom, singing songs of praise and thanksgiving. Amen!
Cherith Fee Nordling—Year A Proper 19
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/GReverb/GR079-Nordling-YearA-Proper19.mp3
Program Transcript
The transcript is coming soon!
Program Transcript
The transcript is coming soon!
Small Group Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the story of the crossing of the Red Sea has so many allusions to the creation account in Genesis?
- The sermon said God made himself known to Israel and their enemies, the Egyptians. Who would you say the revelation of God in Jesus Christ is for?
- How has God made himself known to you through this Exodus story? In other ways?
- God makes himself known. In what ways can we participate in sharing who God is with others?
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