Forgiving, Even Without Reconciliation
Matthew 18:21-35... I’ve read this passage many times, and the last verse always scared me.
“…And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
I tend to hold grudges (or at least I used to a lot more than I do now), “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother (or sister) from your heart.”
Is this literally saying I won’t go to Heaven if I haven’t forgiven someone? Well, maybe, but this is so much deeper because Christ’s death on the cross is sufficient for our shortcomings (if we have in fact placed hope in Him), but, stay with me...
If we don’t forgive others, no matter how bad what they did was, we don’t understand the forgiveness we have received in Christ (Romans 3:21-26 & Colossians 1:13-14). IF we really understood that forgiveness, we couldn’t help but forgive others because what Christ did for us (left a perfect palace to walk among dirty people, had words put in his mouth by those who had no idea who he was, was mocked, physically beaten and humiliated for things he never did, died the most painful death possible so that through his resurrection, we could live forever in His perfect palace) was so much bigger than anything that has been or will be committed against us.
Not forgiving others puts you as the man who was forgiven of his HUGE debt in the passage referenced above, just to go and not forgive another who owed a much smaller debt to him. Did you really understand the significance of your original debt that was wiped clean? If you did, forgiveness would then come from you.
Forgiveness doesn’t always mean reconciliation, but forgiveness nonetheless is necessary. It gives the power back to you as well. It doesn’t mean it’s easy or that you’re saying whatever someone did to you was okay, but it does allow you to move on and not be trapped.
Holding onto something negative is paralyzing. And we are called to be free in Christ, not trapped or paralyzed.
So as we approach Easter, the day we all put on pretty dresses and hide eggs around the yard, let’s try to meditate on the real reason for all the celebrations and remember that we have been forgiven and that He really has risen.
