Forgiveness – a radical idea!

Pastor Steve’s sermon this past weekend challenged us to take forgiveness seriously and to dream a little about how our community would look if we all showed radical forgiveness and reconciliation on a regular basis.  In our Gospel reading, the father not only forgives the younger son, but he embarrasses himself by running to him and lavishly reinstates his sonship, welcoming him back into the family.  I would suspect that for many of us, we would not have been quite so generous to this younger son.  In fact, I would suggest that we all have carried some grudges or resentments toward someone at some point in our lives.  It’s tough sometimes to forgive those who have wronged us. 

Jesus did something super-radical for us; He came from heaven to earth to die on a cross for you and for me!  He was rejected by us and was killed to pay the debt that we could never pay.  So, why is it so hard for us to forgive others who have wronged us if Jesus was so willing to pay the ultimate price for you and me? 

As Christians, we are called to not only admit our feelings of un-forgiveness, but we are to go further.  In fact, we don’t deny those feelings, but we do something “radical,” we forgive that person or persons who wronged us.  Why?  We do so because Jesus did it for you and me.  We are called to forgive. 

Now, it is important for us to understand that forgiveness doesn't mean that you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong that they did toward you.  It does, however, mean that when you forgive the person, you receive a kind of deep peace that helps you go on with life and it releases you from the painful grip of resentment and anger.  Forgiveness brings freedom to you and me. 

Jesus went to the cross to give us all eternal freedom from our past.  It’s not about your sin or my sin, it is about what Jesus has done for us that enables us to all focus on our future and not get stuck in the past. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

the old has gone, the new has come!”

 -- 2Corinthians 5:17

Rebecca St. James sang a wonderful song about forgiveness a couple of years ago.  It’s called “Forgive me.”   Click here to watch. 

Pax,

Pastor Carol