The forgiveness principle Exodus 14:19-31; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35 How do we heal the pain caused by a hurt we didn’t deserve? Sometimes it’s the deepest kind of pain we can ever endure, to be hurt as a result of someone else’s thoughtlessness or insensitivity or selfishness. An insult or accusation levelled at us. An unkind word spoken about us behind our backs, as it were. A lie spread maliciously. Or it may be betrayal by a friend, or even a member of one’s own family? How on earth can we ever forgive that person who perpetrated such an unthinkable act? How in God’s name can anyone expect us to move on, to forgive and forget? Precisely by that method – in God’s name, in His strength, and by His grace. We learn to forgive by following the teachings and the examples of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The passages from Exodus and Matthew share the theme of deliverance. The Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt and then delivered from starvation in the wilderness; on both occasions by the direct hand of God. The slave in Jesus’ parable is delivered solely by the mercy of the King. Neither the Israelites nor the slave in the parable do anything to earn their deliverance – it is offered freely in grace and in mercy. The Israelites respond with a song of praise to God. The slave, however, shows neither grace nor mercy, but is caught out by a witness to his actions and is punished. The reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans offers a theme of being set apart. It clearly shows that just as we have received grace, mercy, and forgiveness, we, who are in Christ, are set apart to do likewise. Seventy times seven is a lot of forgiveness. Once is tough enough. Twice, almost unreasonable. Remember the adage: Hurt me once, shame on you. Hurt me twice, shame on me. Seventy times seven? I’m certain that we would all have trouble with that if we were called on to behave that way, and yet that’s precisely what Jesus advised in his dialogue with Simon Peter. Keep on forgiving, he counselled, even when forgiveness seems illogical. In reality, forgiveness is more of a gift we give ourselves than a favour we bestow on others. Unforgiveness Carries a Heavy Cost. Jesus illustrated that principle with the story of a servant who owed the king ten thousand talents, which would equate to several years wages. There was no possible way on this earth that he could ever hope to be able to pay up! But his pleading for mercy touched a tender chord in the generous heart of the king, and the servant was forgiven. His account was marked paid in full. However, the servant soon met another man who owed him a mere handful of denarii, which was only a few days’ wages. The debtor pleaded for mercy but received a sentence to debtors prison instead. The king, upon hearing of the first servants refusal to forgive, rescinded his former offer, and the servant wound up on the locked side of a prison cell until he would pay his entire debt. He, who had been set free for life, chose the way that leads to bondage and torture. He chose not to forgive. Sadly, so many of us do the same. Current medical research indicates that people who are unforgiving are much more susceptible to a variety of illnesses than more tolerant people. A person’s health is at much more serious risk if they carry around unresolved hostility. Anger and unforgiveness place a person at risk. Forgive seventy times seven? Jesus knew it was for our own good. People who refuse to forgive rarely do significant damage to the other person but can seriously jeopardize their own well-being. We simply cannot afford to ignore the fact that unforgiveness carries a heavy cost. We also need to remember that our Forgiveness Is Linked to Gods Forgiveness There is, quite obviously, a spiritual dimension to the forgiveness principle. It’s an awareness of Gods love for all. A woman who disliked a particularly obnoxious neighbour was put in a bad mood every morning. While standing at her sink fixing breakfast, she would see him driving off to work. Finally, one morning she watched him drive away, and as the old familiar feelings of resentment began to rise, she suddenly thought to herself, He is a person for whom Christ died. That morsel of theological insight was the antidote to her resentment. If Jesus loves others enough to die for them, perhaps our refusal to forgive them is spiritually inappropriate. Today’s text from Matthew moves us to consider one of the most difficult practices of Christian discipleship – forgiveness. Forgiveness is a hard road to walk, but it is the way to life and life abundant. Forgiveness is the way of Jesus, the way of the cross. While at first glance revenge may seem much easier and more desirable, in fact it leads to bondage and death. From the place of death, vengeance, and coercive violence – from the cross – Jesus spoke words of forgiveness, pointing to the way that leads to life. At the heart of discipleship lies the painful and challenging practice of forgiveness. In relating this story Jesus holds up a mirror for us to see our tendency to withhold the very mercy and forgiveness we have received. The only righteous judge, Jesus, says from the cross, “Forgive them.” We, from our positions of self-righteousness, cry out, “Pay me what you owe.” What a tragedy that we forfeit the gift of freedom because we are unable to allow the spirit of love to form us into a people who practice the abundant economy of forgiveness rather than the bankrupt market of vengeance, getting even, and settling the score. I know forgiveness is a hard road. It may take months, years, countless tears, and endless prayer to say, “I forgive you.” But Jesus was clear: grace is costly and forgiveness involves the way of the cross. True life is found only on the other side of Golgotha. Let’s be very clear about what we are talking about. Forgiveness is a practice, a discipline made possible by the grace of God, not some heroic act of the will. It is something that we practice again and again, on a daily basis, until it becomes a part of who we are. Forgiveness involves telling each other the painful truth, not to hold something over the other person but to find a way forward that breaks the cycle of eye-for-an-eye violence in which we so often find ourselves trapped. Forgiveness is not about becoming a doormat and relishing the role of victim. Forgiveness is about being victorious, freed from the horrible things others might have done to us. Likewise, forgiveness is not a strategy for turning our enemies into our friends; it is instead a grateful response to what God has done for us. We forgive others as a way of saying “thank you” to God, who in Christ has graciously forgiven us. Finally, practising forgiveness does not deny the possibility or the necessity of justice. Rather, it redefines justice, and ensures that it is God’s peculiar brand of justice we are practising and not the retribution and retaliation that often masquerade as justice. In calling us to forgive, Jesus offers us a different kind of justice that holds open the possibility of a new future, a way through the hurt and pain that can lead to resurrection and new life. Forgiveness is about having our lives defined by the justice of God’s kingdom rather than the justice of the kingdoms of this world. A final thought: Gods willingness to forgive us is somehow linked to our willingness to forgive others. So said Jesus, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive ... That alone is all I need to know to forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven. It’s the right thing to do. As we have heard, so may we respond. Transform our thinking and our doing, O God. May our actions speak your mercy, and may our lives speak your generous love. Amen
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 06:58:21 +0000
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