Forgiveness

Thursday evening's prayer-meeting also saw us considering the area of forgiveness. In my private devotions, I am still reading in the Old Testament book of Job. This morning, I found myself wondering how difficult it must have been for Job to forgive those "friends" who were so convinced - and so clear in telling him so - that his unenviable situation had to be the result of his own sin. However, he must have done so, as we are assured that he prayed for them, and that the LORD responded positively. (42:7-9)

Of course, there is an ultimate sense in which forgiveness can only be provided by God. David realised that when, after his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, he cried out "Against You, and You alone, have I sinned. I have done what is evil in Your sight." (Ps.51:4). Now, it might be argued that he had also wronged Bathsheba - and her husband, Uriah the Hittite, whose murder he arranged - but he knew that all sin is an offence against God.

But I must also seek the forgiveness, at a human level, of the one whom I have wronged - whatever form that wrong may have taken. If I fail to do so, as I reminded the group on Thursday evening, then I cannot expect to be forgiven. That, it seems, is the force of those words in the model prayer that Jesus gave to the early disciples: "Forgive us our sins (hamartías), as we forgive everyone who is indebted (ofeílonti) to us". By that measure, I fear that few of us would be forgiven ourselves!!

But what about the person who wrongs me, time and time again, in the same way? Do I have to keep on forgiving that habitual wrongdoer? Jesus seems to have thought so! He was asked that sort of question by Peter: "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!" (Matt.18:21) And that doesn't mean purchasing a "click counter" and checking to see when it reaches 490! What Jesus was saying, in the colloquialism of the time, was that we should forgive without limit. Now there's a challenge!!

It occurred to me, this morning, that to truly forgive is to be very close to the heart of God. Only there, I suspect, can we draw on enough of His love, and grace, and mercy, to be able to be like Him Whose forgiveness is a gift to many, through the sacrifice of the Son at Calvary. (see Rom.5:15).