Forgiveness is Divine

Forgiveness in Action

One of the things that Christians must make peace with is that when we have attempted to spread the Gospel to other cultures we haven’t always done such a great job. Over the years during things like the Crusades and the “Reconquest of Spain” we have used means of conversion that, in hindsight, are abominable. Conversions at the point of the sword were not what Jesus intended when he told us to “Go, make disciples of all nation.” And one of the great tragedies of our overzealous evangelistic efforts has been how we have treated the First Nations people that lived on THIS land. Of course, the First Nations folks are often called Native Americans or simply by the incorrect title Indians. We have a lot to ask forgiveness for from our brothers and sisters who were in this land before our ancestors arrived, who were belittled, abused, and hated.

But the story of evangelization is not all bad. Indeed, some great testimonies of faith come from those who heard the Gospel and believed in the first generation. One such story comes to us from Alberta, Canada over two centuries ago. At the time, what was to become the province of Alberta was home to the Cree tribe. This branch of the First Nations family was led by a man called Maskepetoon. When missionaries first arrived and explained the Gospel, Maskepetoon was vigorously against the new teaching. The Cree had their own spiritual heritage and the chief would not easily abandon it. But over time and through a deeper understanding, Maskepetoon soon began to understand that the Gospel was not opposed to his own understanding of life and the universe, but gave him a deeper understanding of what it meant to be human-- and that to be human was to live like Jesus.

A while later, during an armed conflict between the Cree people and another First Nations tribe, the Blackfoot people, Maskepetoon’s father was killed in wartime. In such circumstances like the death of a loved one during a violent conflict it comes naturally to us to seek vengeance and retribution for the crime that was committed. We seek the life of those who take life. We seek the property of those who take property. We seek punishment to fit the crime. And it would only seemingly be natural for a person in Maskepetoon’s place to want to kill the man who killed his father. But, astonishingly, this was not his reaction.

Instead, Maskepetoon turned toward his father’s killer and said, “You have killed my father, therefore, you must now be my father. Here, take my best horse and ride it. Take my best clothes, and wear it.” Can you imagine that? Can you imagine not only forgiving the man who killed your own father—but then to give him the best you have and then adopt him into your family—and in a superior relationship at that...

And this radical turn of events was not lost on his now former enemy. The man who killed Maskepetoon’s father now looked at his new son and said, “Now you have killed me.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the man literally died. But it does mean that something in that man died that day. This radical act of forgiveness had worked its full measure in the killer’s heart. Gone was the hatred that had caused him to kill. Gone was the anger that had him raise arms against a fellow human being. Born that day was a new person when he received Maskepetoon’s forgiveness.

Divine Forgiveness: Psalm 32:1-7

Psalm 32:1–2 NASB 2020

How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord does not take into account, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

For Christians, God’s forgiveness is at the heart of our faith. When we look out at the world, we see so much wrong with it. Hatred, envy, strife, violence, oppression, injustice, and more. And all of these things has at its core the self-centeredness of humans and humans acting in groups together. This turn towards self and selfishness is what the Bible calls “sin.” Sin is breaking the peace and harmony that God desires among humans, with God, and with the creation itself. Anything we do to disrupt those three relationships is sin.

But, because of Jesus, we can seek forgiveness. Jesus has ended the curse of sin and bore its consequences on the cross. Because of the great truth of the Gospel we can have peace with God, peace with one another, and peace with the creation itself. This is why the psalmist can say, “Blessed is the one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered!”

For those who trust in Christ for salvation, our sin and transgressions are no longer held against us. If God was an accountant, it would be as if he deleted our debt and given us credit. God keeps no record of wrongs for those who trust in Christ for salvation…praise the Lord for that.

Forgiving Ourselves: Genesis 50:16-21

Forgiveness from God through Christ is something that happens in an instant. Christ showed the extent of God’s love and offer of forgiveness for it two thousand years ago on the tree and it is freely available for all who seek it. But what is a much more difficult thing sometimes is to appropriate this forgiveness for ourselves. For some folks, it is difficult to ACCEPT the forgiveness that has been offered to them. And paradoxically, because it requires nothing but our contrition and repentance, some people think it’s just “all too easy.” I mean by that that some people think there must be a “catch” to receiving God’s forgiveness.

That’s what Joseph’s brothers thought when they were forgiven by Joseph. Do you remember the story of Joseph and his brothers? Let me give you a quick recap. Joseph’s brothers were envious of the preferential treatment Joseph received at the hands of Jacob their father. There jealousy was so great that they plotted to secretly kill their brother. Only one of them convinced the others to secretly sell their brother into slavery and then kill an animal and make it LOOK like death--an accident. For many years, Jacob indeed thought that his son was dead and gone.

But God was with Joseph and raised him up through a series of unlikely events to the second position of power in Egypt—the same place that Jacob and his family had to go for food during the famine. Jacob was finally reunited with his son—and Joseph with his brothers.

After Jacob died, the brothers feared that Joseph would finally take vengeance…that he only took pity on his father and held off until his passing. So, the brothers make up a story that their father wanted reconciliation. And this grieved Joseph. He saw that his brothers had merely acted out of fear when they had early sought his forgiveness.

You see, cowardice is incompatible with true forgiveness. Cowardice only creates further inequality among people. It makes one person more powerful than the other. Among us humans, real forgiveness can only happen among equals. That’s why it is so difficult sometimes for oppressed people to give forgiveness. It’s hard to forgive when you’ve had it drilled into your head that you’re inferior. Often, it’s only when the oppressor becomes humble, when those who have the power give it up— show that they have no claim, no voice, no rights above the other-- only then can real forgiveness be given and accepted.

And Joseph knew this. His brothers were in fear because they perceived in the power differential between them that punishment was surely on its way. So Joseph responds to this fear, “Am I in the place of God?” Joseph knows that all vengeance, punishment, and retribution must ultimately lie only in the hands of God. It is only for us to forgive.

Christian Forgiveness: Matthew 18:15-35

The Bible very rarely tells us what to do. A lot of the Bible is stories about how people, the environment, and God interact. This can be frustrating sometimes. We want clear rules, do this, don’t do that, etc. But the Bible is not a rules manual.

But in Matthew 18, we have exactly that, clear rules for how to forgive. But do you know how often I’ve seen this happen? Almost never. Why is it that we go through all kinds of acrobatics to make excuses to do this simple thing that Jesus commanded? If someone sins, go point it out just between the two of you. This takes humility. It shows respect for the other person. It gives the opportunity to restore the community, to reverse the harmful actions of that sin—remember our definition, at least part of sin is breaking relationship and community.

Whatever we bind on earth and whatever we loose on earth IS in heaven. In other words, it’s really done that way. If we forgive on earth, that person is truly forgiven in the spiritual realm, in God’s kingdom.

How often have you heard people quote, “that where two or three gather together in Jesus’ name, there God is also?” We love to say this when our prayer meeting is small. When our Bible Study numbers dwindle. When our worship service attendance takes a nosedive. But that’s not what Jesus is saying here. What Jesus IS saying is that when two or three people seek forgiveness and restoration, in other words, come together in Jesus’ name—THAT is where God is. This is really powerful and something I don’t want you to forget. Because when unbelievers, doubters, spiritually curious people see Christians hurting one another, being hypocrites, fighting, excommunicating—they don’t want to be a part of that. When they see two or three together and seek forgiveness, apologize, attempt reconciliation—even if the attempt doesn’t always work—they can see that God’s kingdom, Jesus’ teachings, the presence of God’s Spirit is there.

Jesus isn’t sure if we understand how important it is to forgive, so he told us this story: A servant owes a debt he cannot repay. Even his death wouldn’t satisfy the debt—it would be passed on to his children and his children’s children. But it is forgiven. That is cause for rejoicing. Then he turns and sees someone who owes him ten bucks. That man can’t pay either—he doesn’t have it. You would think he would show mercy because he had been forgiven much. But Jesus knows our hearts. Even though we are forgiven people, we still seek to take from others.

I challenge you…I exhort you…I cajole you…I encourage you—pass it on. Freely, Freely, you have received. Freely, Freely, give. Go in Jesus’ name—not to the stranger but to your own family, to your neighbor who you offended or who offends you—and forgive. In that way, others will know that the Kingdom of God is among us. The word of God is true and Jesus lives.