Jesus tells us to forgive: easier said than done. We all assume that we understand forgiveness, but in practice it is sometimes very hard to know where it begins and ends. To forgive may involve battling with powerful emotions – resentment, deep hurt, a longing for justice and retribution.
Yet the desire for a fresh start with the slate wiped clean is very strong, and without forgiveness that is not possible. How do we live with the memory of some of the things we have done? How can we bear the burden of words we cannot withdraw, or change actions we have bitterly regretted for years? How do we deal with difficult ongoing relationships at work or in the family where everything that’s said is misunderstood?
Forgiveness between human beings is complicated because it involves pride, humility, and even sometimes humiliation and unbearable indebtedness. But forgiveness, Paul reminds us, begins as a blessing from God. We are free from all penalties and punishments, because he has redeemed us through the cross of Jesus. The Almighty God, supreme, perfectly holy, with all authority, is willing to forgive anyone for anything. So we are all in the place of guilt, all humbled by our need for forgiveness. When we know this, it is easier to forgive and be forgiven for our lesser debts and trespasses against each other.
But forgiveness is costly. When we understand, even in part, the cost to the Creator and the Saviour of the world, then the cost to pride and confidence as we face our own need to seek forgiveness from others seems a small price. Our acceptance of the cost of dealing with the consequences of what we have done, as well as that of forgiving those who have hurt and damaged us, begins the process that leads us into the full, joyous and blessed freedom of the children of God. Forgiveness offered and accepted is also an essential part of extending the Kingdom of God into a troubled world.
Yet the desire for a fresh start with the slate wiped clean is very strong, and without forgiveness that is not possible. How do we live with the memory of some of the things we have done? How can we bear the burden of words we cannot withdraw, or change actions we have bitterly regretted for years? How do we deal with difficult ongoing relationships at work or in the family where everything that’s said is misunderstood?
Forgiveness between human beings is complicated because it involves pride, humility, and even sometimes humiliation and unbearable indebtedness. But forgiveness, Paul reminds us, begins as a blessing from God. We are free from all penalties and punishments, because he has redeemed us through the cross of Jesus. The Almighty God, supreme, perfectly holy, with all authority, is willing to forgive anyone for anything. So we are all in the place of guilt, all humbled by our need for forgiveness. When we know this, it is easier to forgive and be forgiven for our lesser debts and trespasses against each other.
But forgiveness is costly. When we understand, even in part, the cost to the Creator and the Saviour of the world, then the cost to pride and confidence as we face our own need to seek forgiveness from others seems a small price. Our acceptance of the cost of dealing with the consequences of what we have done, as well as that of forgiving those who have hurt and damaged us, begins the process that leads us into the full, joyous and blessed freedom of the children of God. Forgiveness offered and accepted is also an essential part of extending the Kingdom of God into a troubled world.
Margaret Killingray
The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity
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