Devotional For the Week— 15 January 2007
FORGIVENESS
– A BETTER WAY
Scripture: Matthew
18: 21-35
Introduction
In 1961, Corrie Ten Boom shared in one of her evangelistic services
at a church in Bangalore, India of her personal experience with
forgiveness. Corrie Ten Boom had suffered much in World War 2
and had shared with many of the grace she had been given to forgive
her torturers. However, one night at a church service in Munich,
Germany, she came face to face with one of the jailors of the
shower room in Ravenbruck Prison. Painful memories of heaps of
dirty clothes, humiliation of her nakedness, a roomful of jeering
men and her sister’s pale face all came flooding back. Corrie
Ten Boom had forgiven many but not this man. To her horror, this
man came up to her and said “O fraulein, thank you for your
message, I believe what you said that God has forgiven me and
washed all my sins away.” He reached out his hand to shake
her’s but Corrie found it impossible to reach out to shake
his hand as her hateful feelings towards him were so strong. However,
God whispered in her heart, “Just put out your hand, Corrie,
that’s all.” Finally breathing a desperate prayer
for strength, she reached out and took his hand. Corrie shared
that when she did, the most amazing thing happened. It was as
if an electric current flowed through her shoulder and arm and
into her hand. The rage she felt melted and a deep feeling of
forgiving love welled up inside her! Corrie shared “I had
to obey God and put out my hand. God did the rest.”
1.
The mandate to forgive
In today’s scripture, Jesus stresses the importance of forgiveness
and the necessity to forgive. Forgiveness is a kingdom value,
a spiritual attitude to be embraced by all disciples of Christ.
In the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6: 9-15) Jesus prayed “Forgive
our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.” Jesus later
elaborates on forgiveness and tells us that if we forgive men
when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will also forgive
us. However, if we do not forgive men of their sin, our Father
will also not forgive our sins (Matthew 6:14-15). Jesus does not
mince his words. He did not lay down conditions on when we should
forgive. His directive is clear, forgive and you shall be forgiven.
2.
The effect of forgiveness
Today’s scripture passage tells of the parable of the unmerciful
servant. In a few verses before this parable, Jesus teaches his
disciples that the act of forgiveness is not merely a personal
or social act but there is divine dimension to forgiveness too.
Three things happen in the heavenly realm when we forgive and
they are:
(a)
The power of authority is released both in heaven and on earth
(v. 18)
In
verses 15 to 17, Jesus speaks of how one should handle the situation
of an offending brother with the aim of being reconciled one to
the other. In verse 18, Jesus tells us that “whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose
on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This tells us that when
we forgive, there is a power of authority that is released both
in heaven and on earth.
(b)
The power of agreement results in answered prayers (v. 19)
In
the same context, Jesus continues in verse 19 to say that “if
two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will
be done for you by my Father in heaven.” This tells us when
there is forgiveness and reconciliation, the power of agreement
results in answered prayers.
(c)
The power of affirmation is received by Christ’s presence
(v. 20)
Finally,
Jesus confirms in verse 20 that “where two or three come
together in my name, there am I with them.” Christ will
be present.
3.
Why we should forgive
In Matthew 18: 35, Jesus gives the kingdom principle on forgiveness
- “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you
unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” There
are 4 reasons why we should forgive and they are:
4.
What forgiveness is and is not
What does it mean to forgive? It is not: overlooking the wrong
or excusing or whitewashing the wrong. Take the example of Joseph
who widely acknowledged his brothers’ sin against him. He
said to his brothers “You meant evil against me, but God
meant it for good.” (Gen.50:20). Forgiveness is not psycho-analysing
the wrong-doer in order to explain away the wrong. Lastly, it
is not taking the blame upon ourselves.
Forgiveness requires facing the specific wrong done to us. When
we sin, we need to be specific in confessing our sin to God in
order to receive His forgiveness as we cannot confess to God what
we will not acknowledge to ourselves. Also, when others sin against
us, we need to acknowledge the specific wrong done to us and to
forgive that person for it.
Forgiveness requires facing one’s hurt, pain and resentment.
We must have the courage to face our feelings (Eph 4:25 –31).
Forgiveness is facing the cross of Christ, recognizing that we
are forgiven beings and so we need to forgive others. Paul reminds
in Eph 4:32 that we are to be kind and compassionate to one another,
“forgiving each other as in Christ, God forgives us.”
When we forgive, we realize that Christ took upon Himself our
sins. This punishment should have been our’s but instead
God took them unto Himself in Christ, forgiving us without overlooking
the sins. Likewise, when we forgive someone who has done us wrong
and hurt us, we are taking the pain and shame they deserve onto
and unto ourselves. This is why all forgiveness, divine or human,
involves suffering love. The only place in the entire universe
where we humans are enabled to have that kind of suffering love
is beneath the cross of Christ.
Prayer
Response
Thank you God for teaching me how to forgive by forgiving us of
our sins through Jesus Christ. Help me never to forget that I
am a forgiven being and should always seek to forgive others,
just as much as God has provided for me.
Devotional
based on message by Rev Vincent Goh.