Psalm 107:33-43, 108; Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 22:14-21; Matthew 18:21-35
The new creation will be so glorious we will forget the old. What a wonderful thought! Indeed it will be if the book of the Revelation is right. Isaiah sees that new temple, the new city and the new people who will inhabit that city and shares his vision with the exile community who have seen the destruction of the old city. In this vision we see not simply a restoration of the old way of being but a completely new creation where it is restored to its original intent. There is neither fear nor even danger in this new creation. All things, whatever order of creation, are in fellowship and harmony with one another. Before the fall there was such harmony, Eve trusted the serpent. After the fall there was enmity. After the flood creation was further divided when God gave us permission to eat clean animals. In Isaiah’s vision there are many orders of the animal kingdom who no longer fear one another or menace one another.
Peter wants to know, based on yesterday’s reading in the Gospel, how many times he has to forgive his brother. He suggests a number that sounds magnanimous, “seven times”. Jesus says no, seventy-seven times, an unimaginable number, one that says, as many times as necessary. Remember, however, that forgiveness is based on repentance for sin. In the parable that explains His answer Jesus speaks of the unforgiving servant. In both cases the debts are acknowledged by the debtor. In the first case the king decides to forgive his servant an amount that is impossibly large, based on pity and grace. The forgiven servant, however, refuses to forgive one who owes him little. We are those who have been forgiven much, are we shaped by that grace and mercy and love so that we become like the one who has forgiven us?
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” How are robes washed so that we have a right to enter the city by the gates? Our robes are washed in the blood of the lamb, by the sacrifice of Jesus and we are made clean by that oxymoron of washing in blood. What was lost at the fall was access to the tree of life. We had a choice to make, eat of every tree in the garden, including the tree of life, with the one exception of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and we made the only possible wrong choice. Thereafter the tree of life was no longer a possibility, it was guarded by cherubim and a flaming sword, access denied. The cross has become the tree of life for us, we must, however, accept Jesus’ sacrifice, acknowledging our need of forgiveness, recognizing our sin, in order to eat from that tree. If we come to Him, we partake of the fruit of the tree of life through mercy and grace and forgiveness. We are redeemed, let us pray that He will indeed come quickly that we might see our redeemer in our very eyes and thank Him.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
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