In the likeness of Christ, greatness is answered by humility (18:1-5), temptation by holiness (18:6-9), straying by shepherding (18:10-14), and breaching by peacemaking (18:15-20). But true peacemaking depends on a remedy for sin that separates. Though they do not yet understand it, Christ has come as that remedy. Jesus is training His lead representatives, and forgiveness is His final theme in this series of ethics for His embassy. Forgiveness is said to be the virtue we profess to believe, fail to practice, and neglect to explain. Forgiveness is an overloaded, undervalued, and largely misunderstood Christ-only grace. Simply stated, it is only possible in Christ. Forgiveness is fundamentally Christian. It is not merely done better or made easier with Christ; it cannot exist apart from Christ. Here, the richness of His mercy is put on display as He illustrates with a shocking parable. It is a call for us to be like the Son in forgiving.
