A Reason to Forgive

I was thinking today about how I ought to forgive someone, and I realized I was thinking to myself, “Well, he didn’t mean to hurt me.” I stepped back and thought about what my thought processes were.  I was actually judging this person to see if he was worthy of my forgiveness, whether he was deserving of my forgiveness— whether I had a reason to forgive. 

How foolish.  How human.

God immediately brought to mind Christ’s teaching on how to pray:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  (Matthew 6:9-15)

Isn’t it interesting how “forgiving others” was the only part of the prayer Jesus took the time to explain?  He knew how foreign, how difficult forgiving is.  Because it is hard, we try to find reasons, either to justify the effort required to forgive or else excusing us from it.  Either way, it’s not the forgiveness Jesus has in mind.  He wants forgiveness out of a heart that knows that it too has been forgiven.  That is the focus of His parable of the unforgiving servant:

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”  (Matthew 18:23-35)

Forgiveness.  From the heart.  Mercy.  Because you have been shown mercy.  Something to remember, each and every time we need to forgive.

 

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