This is a difficult season for many people right now. Our lives, our security, our sheltered
way of living apart from the rest of the world was shattered a year ago. Whereas many still feel numb or insecure,
other still harbor anger and rage.
Anger and retaliation, however, may not be the answer. Many of us know what it is like to fume about someone or
some injustice day after day-possibly year after year. Those arguments replayed in one's head for hours, the different
ways a person plans to get even. And all the time the other person may be living quite happily with no idea that
someone is harboring hostility against him or her.
Peter was told that he had to forgive. The Rabbis taught that to forgive three times was a good thing. Therefore,
Peter believed that to forgive seven times would make him a truly good person. Can you imagine his amazement when
he heard seventy-seven times? However, even more incredible, Jesus didn't mean that exact figure. His parable
was directing Peter and all of us to forgive everything-an infinite number of real or perceived offences.
Dr. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement represent a perfect example of this forgiveness. As they
endured the southern sheriff's clubs and water cannons without resorting to violence themselves, the evil of the
segregationists' heart was brought to light. There was enormous power in refusing to respond to the violence in
the way they were expected to-that is with more violence. Dr. King wrote, "To our most bitter opponents we
say: We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering."
Forgiveness is not a suggestion that Jesus makes. It is a command! God forgives us for all of our mistakes and
transgressions-GOD. If He forgives us, what right do we have to withhold forgiveness from another person.
I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to preach on forgiveness this morning because there are so many
times when it is difficult to let go, and I am no different from any one else. In preparation for today, I read
other sermons, pondered the message, and I looked at the many reasons why harboring wounds are infectious to our
physical body, and even more so to our spiritual life.
Ernest Hemingway told the story of a father and his teenage son who had a relationship that had become strained
to the point of breaking. Eventually, the son ran away from home. His father began a journey in search of his
rebellious son. Finally, in Madrid, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in the newspaper:
"Dear Paco, Meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon tomorrow. All is forgiven. I love you. Your
father." The next day, at noon in front of the newspaper office, 800 "Pacos" showed up.
How many Pacos do we have in our lives? Forgiveness is not easy; in fact at times it is very difficult, but we
do not have a choice. In Hebrews 12:14 it states "Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which
no one will see the Lord. Paul is saying here that we must not allow bitterness to come between us in anyway because
it will destroy our JOY, PEACE, VICTORY and our RELATIONSHIP with Christ. Spiritual passions cannot coexist
with resentment.
In the Parable that Jesus told, the servant owed his master ten thousand talents. Each talent is approximately
200 pounds of gold. Ten thousand talents equal two million pounds of gold and would be worth $8, 467, 200,000
on today's market. Yet, his master forgave him that debt. But then this same servant demanded the full amount
from another servant who owed him one hundred denarii. A denarii was almost .14 ounces of silver or equivalent
of sixty-two cents. These figures are an indication of our transgressions. Because God loves us, He has forgiven
us an immeasurable sum throughout our lives. Can we say the same about our ability to forgive ourselves and others?
We know that we should forgive. We know that God has forgiven us an infinite number of times, but can I really
act as if some rude statement, insult, or aggressive action wasn't important? Can I forget it?
We don't need to trivialize the matter-maybe it is important. We don't really need to forget, but we do need to
forgive! Here are some reasons why this is necessary:
1. Forgiveness acknowledges that there was a wrong committed.
In this sense, forgiveness is confrontation.
2. Forgiveness changes your status from victim to victor. The
illustration of Dr. Martin Luther King is a perfect example of
this.
3. Forgiveness makes sense for people who have needed, do need,
and will need forgiveness. We are not the only person to whom
wrong has been done; we also are often the person who has
offended others.
4. Forgiveness is the only road to freedom.
There is a Chinese proverb that covers this very well:
"Whoever opts for revenge should dig two graves."
5. Again, forgiveness is not Jesus' suggestion. It is his command.
I heard of a congregation that split apart over an unfortunate business incident which occurred between two families.
Members and friends of one family sat on one side of the congregation on Sunday morning and members and friends
of the other family sat on the other side. The tension between the two factions was quite obvious.
It was the custom of this congregation to celebrate the Sacrament of Communion on the first Sunday of each month.
On this first Sunday, the pastor moved through the first part of the service and then, when it came time to begin
the Sacrament, she looked out and saw a divided and hostile congregation before her. "Wait." She said,
"We are not ready to celebrate this meal. It would be a travesty, a clear violation of scripture to come
to this table when there is so much hostility between us."
The congregation did not celebrate the Sacrament for six months. Finally there came a Sunday when one person from
one family rose and confessed his indiscretion and forgave the other side. Then someone from the other family
rose and did likewise. That day, when the congregation moved to the Lord's Table, they moved with tears. All
said that Christ was present as never before and from that day on they knew what being a real church was all about.
But how do we do this?
1. Forgiveness is not a natural quality, and therefore, it always
originates from God. Let God take over. Let go and hand it
over to him.
2. We must see the other person in a new light.
There are always two sides to every story. Quite often our perception of another person or situation is totally
wrong.
3. If there is repentance, then forgiveness is essential.
4. This is not an automatic action. There must be a conscious decision to release these negative feelings; then
through the power of God we can see the person in a new light.
The Bible is filled with verses extolling forgiveness. Colosssians 3:13 states: "Forgive as the Lord forgave
you." Luke 6:27 tells us: "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate
you." And, of course, the greatest act of forgiveness comes from Luke 23:34, "Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they are doing.
It is God's way to forgive. As Christians it must be our way to forgive. However, when the grace of God is missed,
bitterness is born. But when the grace of God is received and embraced, forgiveness abounds. The longer we walk
in the garden, the more likely we are to smell the flowers. The more we immerse ourselves in God's grace, the
more likely we are to extend grace to others.
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