2022-04-08
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The people of ancient Israel were humbled knowing they were sinners, as they sang songs to the Lord on their foot travel to and from the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. That is why PS 85: 4-7 was sung. “Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away Your displeasure toward us. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” Those who believe in Christ (Messianic Jews) already know that God did indeed grant us a way to salvation [JN 3: 16]. Yes, our God has loved us all along as we put His teaching into practice. But what about Israel?
Understanding that there is a need for forgiveness is inherent in the traditionally Jewish belief system. That is why there is a Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) that God commanded the Jews to observe. It comes after the beginning of the Jewish new year (Rosh HaShana) followed by the ten Days of Awe (a time for contemplation of one’s relationship with the Lord and the status of his need for contrition). The Hebrew word “teshuvah” means repentance, which includes rigorous self-examination, engagement with the victim of one’s wrongdoing, and expression of regret. The Jewish practice is that if forgiveness isn’t granted on the first attempt, one is required to try a total of three times. If a grudge is still held, then there is no further requirement of attempts. Offering forgiveness is considered a “mitzveh” or duty. LV 19:17-18 is a Torah citation that deals with forgiveness, “Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
As a Messianic Jew who has lost many family members in the pogroms of Eastern Europe of the 1880’s and the Holocaust, I take the position that while I can’t forgive these anti-Semites as a group, I have the responsibility to forgive contrite individuals with that background. I know of Holocaust survivor, who has been forgiving toward a former Nazi who was sorry for what he did. This lady was talking about her experience in Dachau who saw the same former Nazi sitting in the auditorium where she was speaking. Both turned ashen in this Messianic service upon recognizing each other. Once this survivor was finished, the former Nazi came up to her with tears streaming down his cheeks. He asked her to forgive him for his wrongdoing. She stepped back to gather her emotions and consider his request. He had told her he accepted responsibility for his wrongs and believed in Jesus Christ. This lady remembered the Jewish “Golden Rule,” which is we are to grant the same favor to others that we expect from them. She came back to the former Nazi and could tell his contrition was genuine. She forgave him. This is what Christ teaches us through the apostle Paul in COL 3: 13. “Forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us.” Due to my conditioned response to anti-Semitism discussed while growing up in the shul, I carried a knot of anger and fear every time I heard a German accent. Then a couple who were visiting my church, leaders of Joshua Mission Ministries in Europe. This ministry was dedicated to helping Jews learn to deal with their Holocaust losses and move on from the hatred in their pasts. One of visiting leaders asked those needing prayer for this to come to her in the front of our sanctuary. My daughter and I went. Once we were done, I felt a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders and the anger/fear within me dissipating. That was when I realized just what a weight on me that had been. This in no way means that we were dishonoring the memories of those murdered in these horrific waves of anti-Semitism. But it meant we could go on with our lives. It is God’s will that we don’t “hate our brother in our hearts.”
PRAYER: O Lord, how easy it is for us to react in kind to wrongdoing done to us! It is human nature to hold a grudge! And yet, that is not your will. You created us to be imperfect, so that we can experience enormous spiritual growth as we learn to be forgiving. No one said this would be easy for us to do, but it is an important step forward for anyone who has had wrong done to him. You have taught us through experience that we can’t come closer to You until we learn to forgive. We should pray for those who continue their wrongdoing, in the hope that they will see the folly of their ways. IS 55: 6-7, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on Him and to our Lord for He will freely pardon.” We offer You praise and thanks for the forgiving heart You have. We utter this prayer for evildoers that they may come to seek Your will. In Christ, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: We will look at Israel, her disobedience and God’s love for her. Faithfully obedient believers can feel inner joy knowing that God is blessing them every day in different ways. The fate of Israel matters to both the Lord and to all of us.
Let me share just how God’s forgiveness has impacted my own life. In three separate circumstances, people that I knew were disrespectful toward me. I have no idea why, but among my many friends these three people stood in contrast. I’m realistic enough to know that not all people we encounter will like us. Each person said things that dishonored me in the height of emotional anger. I chose, with the strength God gave me, not to answer back in kind. Their anger caught me by surprise. I am no angel and can argue my case well, but God gave me the strength to not be tempted to answer back in kind in these cases. Over time, I prayed for these people that they would come to understand God’s will for each of them. One person later achieved a high political office, and we weren’t in contact. After a time, I received a note asking me to forgive this person for the way I had been emotionally broadsided in the class I was teaching. The note would have been enough to satisfy me there was peace between us. However, this person visited my congregation and spoke to them. In the speech given, the need for forgiveness was discussed and the example of what had transpired between us was shared. Later, this person came to me to thank me for what had been learned from me. The other two people on separate occasions also offered their contrition both to me and the Lord for their once- harsh words to me. God truly does enable us to grow spiritually through tough challenges, like learning how allowing fits of emotion to cause unkind words can hurt others and about how the peace that follows forgiveness can grant inner joy. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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