A Thought For The Week Of June 2

"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:15) This is a kind of a harsh verse, isn't it. But it does illustrate a point. I've been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. We're all in need of it from time to time. How many of us have never hurt someone else - even those we love? It is, unfortunately, a part of life. It's not hard for me to think of ways in which I've hurt people, and I want their forgiveness for the hurts I've inflicted. But I have to show some grace to those I've hurt as well - because I've also been hurt, and from that experience I know that offering forgiveness is hard work. It doesn't always come naturally. It's one of the awe-inspiring things about God. Where others have trouble forgiving me, God is willing to forgive me. I don't think this verse - as harsh as it may sound - makes divine forgiveness a sort of quid pro quo arrangement. God forgiving me is not dependent on me forgiving others. That would place a limit on God's ability and willingness to forgive. I think the verse is meant to illustrate that we have to work to make forgiveness a way of life. If we are forgiven by God we need to be able to display a spirit of forgiveness to those who hurt us. I think the Gospels are clear that, for Jesus, it was always the spirit of the law that mattered and not the letter. It's the same with forgiveness. The spirit of this verse is simply that forgiveness has to be offered because it has been given. I've heard people say that they won't forgive someone who's hurt them because "they have to ask me to forgive them first." What they fail to understand is that we don't forgive because someone asks us to forgive them; we forgive because we recognize that God has forgiven us. Forgiveness is hard. This verse is probably intended to make the point that forgiveness is hard. But we have to forgive. It helps to build our relationship with God; and it helps us to let go of bitterness and pain and anger so that we can live the life Jesus calls us to. Think of someone who's hurt you and who you've had trouble forgiving - and then forgive them. Let it go. Move on with life. And rejoice that you can be both forgiven and forgiving. Have a great week!