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* In the years I have been involved in helping people develop healthy relationships with God and each other, I have determined that the most ineffective and insensitive response is the one most offered… “You know, you have to forgive them?!” * That approach dismisses their hurt and intensifies their anger. It reduces forgiveness to a rule and bypasses the heart-motivation for such a posture. * September 9, 1971, John Lennon (of Beatle’s fame) released a song entitled “Imagine”, in which he invites us to… “Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try…” * Some 2,000 years earlier, Jesus asked us to imagine that there was a heaven; that too, would require that we engage our imagination. It was Jesus’ primary method of reaching people’s hearts; colorful, simple stories about what life in God’s space looks like. [Imagination is simply the power of the mind to form a mental image as the story is being told.] * He spoke of heaven as if it were not just some far away place at which we might hope to arrive when we die, but as “God’s space”… “Where God always is”. Jesus actually asked us to imagine what the world would look like if heaven and earth were to regularly intersect. It requires imagination because it so conflicts with life as we know it; the principles are in such unnatural. Imagine a world where… … people readily recognized their need of him, allowing their lives to freely overlap with God’s (poor in spirit), … mercy ruled our relationships and people actively worked for peace, … people loved their enemies and sought the best even for those who intentionally wronged them. * But, Jesus not only invited us to imagine such a world, but to enter it… to live it. He said that if you could imagine it; embrace it; embody it… it was to your advantage (blessed; you had figured life out). God’s space (and his way of doing things) has arrived and is presently available. * The story begins with man feeling at home with God, and ends with… Revelation 21:3 “Look, look, God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good- tears gone, crying gone, pain gone- all the first order of things gone” (Message). * It is apparent that something has gone terribly wrong (the OT is the unfolding drama of man disconnected from God and God’s determination to not live without him). * Life continually provides opportunity for us to hurt and be hurt; to wound and be wounded. His says, “It’s inevitable. Anger will be our response to all the brokenness”. In a world where the potential for pain and interpersonal conflict was so prevalent, Jesus knew that we needed a new way of “being with” each other. * Central to that way of life must be a means of dealing with the hurtful things we do to one another; including calling ourselves (and others) to a higher standard of living (eternal life), while making allowances for our failures to achieve it. * Our response toward others must be shaped by God’s response toward us. Colossians 3:12-13 “… as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you”. Central to all of our relationships is “forgiveness”. Only forgiveness makes relationship possible. * In God’s dealings with his creation, there had to be a way of relating to us which did not ignore our sin, yet made relationship possible in spite of it. * The death of Jesus is represented in the story as the climax of all that God intended to do to answer the question of evil and restore his good creation. Evil- as the apparent cause of all the decay and defacing of God’s good creation- would need to be dealt with in a decisive way. * Isaiah 40-55 depicts him as a Servant. He seemed to be serving a representative role; doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus was taking upon himself the direct consequences of all the ways that his people (Israel) had failed. * For Israel, forgiveness of sins meant release from exile; being set free from the limiting consequences of their sin. * It seemed that the only way to defeat it was to let it do its worst (death), and then get up again, demonstrating its apparent weakness and inability to overcome. He seems to be bearing it (taking it upon himself) to the point of actually exhausting its power. * Death (the “last enemy”, 1 Corinthians 15:26), the ultimate expression of corruption and decay of all of God’s good creation… is defeated. * To live such a life; to participate in God’s new way of doing things requires that we embody at present what will only be fulfilled in the future. Reflections… ►Forgiveness is a “remarkable” way to live. It gets our attention because it is such a contradictory way to live. Forgiveness involves… - Learning to live free of the demands that my anger places on you. - Learning to live free of the need for retaliation. - The willingness to make a conscious choice to take upon myself the consequences of another’s wrongful actions. Beliefnet (multi-faith spirituality website) voted as its most “inspiring” person, not just an individual, but a community- the Amish community of Nickel Mines, PA. You recall that one of their own neighbors shot (10) little girls in the schoolhouse, killing (5) of them. What made them the overwhelming favorites? “Their example of incredible Christian forgiveness, charity and love”… “The first thing they did was bring food and comfort to the family of the killer”. “They were living their faith and exhibiting values we all wish we could live up to- a personal commitment to forgiveness that few of us can match”. “When you read about them, you go, ‘Wow, that’s incredible’”. ►Forgiveness is the ultimate demonstration of strength. We usually interpret forgiveness as weakness; as a means of passively tolerating the wrongs done to us; that it was “no big deal”. * Forgiveness actually means that “it was a big deal”. It requires that I confront the seriousness of the wrongs done and overpower it with love. Reconciliation can only be possible once the offense has been faced. Forgiveness means that although it did happen -and I will probably never forget- I am (by God’s grace) moving toward becoming the kind of person who can live as if it didn’t. * In the disciple’s prayer, Jesus seems to indicate that evil would ultimately be overcome through forgiveness. How do we set things right? How do we reverse the destructive nature of evil? How do we keep evil from eroding our own souls? FORGIVENESS. ►Forgiveness allows me to choose the kind of person I am becoming. Forgiveness means that my life is no longer being shaped by my response to the wrongs done to me. ►When we forgive, we really do overcome evil with good! Because it allows us to absorb the assault of evil and exhaust it with good. Matthew 6:14 (a startling, controversial statement)… “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins’. * Jesus indicates that the capacity for receiving forgiveness and for offering forgiveness come from the same place… our heart. * Could it be that Jesus wants us to understand that if we are the kind of people who “keeps lists” and “plots retaliation”, and finds it hard to offer forgiveness, that maybe we are also the kind of people who have a hard time asking for forgiveness! (admitting our own need) ►Sometimes we have to break the rules in order to keep the law! James calls it the “royal law” (James 2:8 ‘loving your neighbor…’). Romans 13:10 “Love is the fulfillment of the law…” Matthew 18:21 “How many times should I forgive?” * We seem to always be looking for a way to appear complaint without feeling as if it has cost us something; to feel that we have done what’s “least expected” (minimum daily requirement!)
Jesus seems to say to Peter, “If
you’re still counting, you’re probably not ready. |
