Forgiveness

I know it's been awhile, but my thoughts have been scattered as I have pondered my recent study and putting them down on paper has somewhat been difficult.

The topic you may ask is:

Forgiveness

If you have lived at all you have had to forgive somebody at one point or another. But what does it look like when it hits big and close to home? 

Forgiveness is simply a fact of life and yet we don't do a very good job at teaching the basic principles of forgiveness and sometimes it goes hard to even follow those basic principles.

What does it mean to forgive?

Is it possible to forgive someone who has wronged you without them asking for forgiveness?

Are there stages in complete genuine forgiveness?

What happens after forgiveness has taken place?

How do you build bridges in a wall building world?

The first step to this all is to look at the meaning of forgiveness:

"the act of forgiving"
"the state of being forgiven"

"To grant pardon for or remission of an offense"

"To give up claim on account of debt or obligation"

"To free someone from their debt with no strings attached"

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free"

"To release a person from the wrong they have done to you"

As I think of forgiveness and all that comes with it my heart is drawn to Matthew 18 where Jesus teaches his disciples about forgiveness. In my study Bible the section starts off with the title "Illustrated in Continual Forgiveness". Jesus right away emphasised the fact that it was never meant to be a once and done thing but rather a continual act of forgiving or as He put it "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:22)

No sooner had Jesus answered the question from Peter he broke out into a parable to teach His disciples these basic principles of forgiveness. 

Matthew 18: 23-35 says:

Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and the payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him saying, "Master have patience with me and I will pay you all." Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 

"But the servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying "Pay me what you owe!" So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying "Have patience with me, and I will pay you all."

And he would not, but went an threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him. "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 

"So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

The point Jesus was trying to get across was if we expect to be forgiven of the wrong that we have done we need to be ready to forgive others for the wrong they have done to us. This is a continuous pattern all through the New Testament as Jesus taught the basic principles of forgiveness. 

Matthew 6: 14-15 says: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

He ended His earthly life by on the cross stating these words of complete forgiveness, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34)

I'll close off today with one simple statement “follow Jesus perfect example. Remember by forgiving someone who has wronged you the real person you are freeing is yourself.

By the way I am not done with this one yet, because I feel that I can't just leave it here. This topic is a big one and needs a lot more study not only for my personal life but it’s a rarely taught subject matter and it's so important.

Till next time,