Forgiveness (Matthew 18: 21-35)
21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
We are not to argue over opinions no matter how strong they are; even in matters of individual conviction. Each person stands unto themselves, for it is God who will uphold them by the power of the cross. We are not to judge. And we must forgive from the heart. These are principles to grow into. The rule is meant to bring inner transformation. It is not as much about outer adherence as it is about love, contentment, and peace; all inner dispositions which help us thrive.
You might say in a world of practicality, “these rules are costing me, I’m being taken advantage of, I have to defend myself.” Like the Israelites in response to the pursuit of Pharaoh’s army, and the enormous obstacle of the Red Sea, one is inclined to wonder, “have you, God, brought me out here to die; are there not enough graves where I started this journey that you have to bring me to the point of this particular destruction; how can I survive upholding these commands?” God’s answer, to them and to you, is for you to stand firm and witness his transforming power. It’s not about boarders or possessions or perspectives or even rights. It’s about the condition of the precious heart; something that needs to be malleable to God’s urging, something that learns through trust that his way is best.
Meekness is not weakness. It is, instead, leaving room for God to act. If you don’t grieve the Spirit through resistance and disobedience, he will fight for you. He will bring you to a spacious place flowing with milk and honey where you will marvel at his ways, and thank him for his guidance. I can’t count the times when, in obedience, I bit my tongue only to experience the opening of doors months down the road. And what I’ve learned is that it is a matter of respect and appreciation for how God is working in other’s lives that grows me more in the likeness of Christ. God’s rules are not arbitrary. They bring health and healing. They show us what we lack, providing impetus for inner growth. In the doing, God reveals our weaknesses only to provide strength. God creates in us an awareness of why and how we got here, then shows the next step.
Humility is at the core. Here, we all need to grow in subtle and profound ways. The tendency is to defend our rights. We seem to need a high estimation of ourselves to motivate progress. Alas, we tend to think that we somehow are more capable in making sense of the world, which pits us against others. Why is this necessary; this comparing and competition? Isn’t it salubrious to respect people’s stories with equal esteem and, together, learn life’s lessons? Appreciation for the other is a wonderful thing! It brings joy, unity, contentment, love, and vitality; things we would not have gained had we remained obstinate.
Christ’s example and teachings are the starting point. But first, through meditation and reflection, we need to come to a place of reverence. Remember, Jesus bought us for a very high price; doing for us what we can not do for ourselves. We are not our own. If we live another day, we live for him. If we die today, we die for him. The promise is that it is going somewhere good, not by our successes or failures, but by the generous gift of God. He wants us to witness by extending this to others. And as we make strides, we learn that God really only wants what is best for us. Here’s the paradoxical miracle; in giving ourselves up we gain so much more! It’s the principle of abundant returns which God holds up as an experiential light. But first we must submit. Then joy, peace, contentment, vitality, and love overflow as the surplus.
So, don’t be stingy with grace, respect, and forgiveness. Be generous and kind and merciful the way God is generous and kind and merciful with you. He never intended for you to carry the burden of judgement; that’s his job. Just release it and be set free!