2002-01-01
Hi There Dear Ones,
As the celebration of our Lord’s birth approaches, I am led to think about forgiveness which heals the soul. Our family is like a lot of families; we have our human foibles and some relationships that are troubled. Sometimes these intrigues go on between people who are not related, allowing us to view certain people in our lives as our enemies. Satan loves this, which is why anyone of faith would wish such behavior didn’t exist. However, we don’t always get a choice in the matter. All we can do is to deal with our own behavior, hoping it will set an example that pleases God for those who choose to let Satan control them. Our Lord repeatedly tells us that we are not to judge the misbehavers, we are to love them. MT 5: 44 [Jesus said] “But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” That’s not always easy to do, but the narrow path laid out for us by the Father is the only way to victory over Satan.
An interesting story about how forgiveness heals is found in Numbers 21:4-9. This is the story of the Hebrews who complained bitterly against God and Moses when they were told that they would have to go around the territory of Edom, thus lengthening their trip in the wilderness. The Lord got so exasperated with them that He sent poisonous snakes which bit them, causing some of them to die. After the survivors acknowledged they had sinned, Moses bowed down to make an intercessory prayer to God to forgive them. God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole so that those who had been bitten could look upon it and be healed. I’ve often wondered if this is the origin of the caduceus, the symbol we associate with the medical profession.
David understood the real source of forgiveness is God. This is seen in PS 25: 4-5,18 in his prayer for guidance and protection. “Teach me Your ways. I trust in You….consider my suffering and forgive all my sins.” From the story of Bathsheba and Uriah, her husband, we know that David had many sins for which he needed to repent and be forgiven. Later in PS 86: 5, another prayer for God’s help, David prays, “You are good to us and forgiving, full of constant love for all who pray to You.” When you think of how long before Christ was incarnate this took place, you gain insight into the kind of transformation that God was making in David’s inner man.
God’s capacity to forgive is very apparent in Amos 7: 1-3. Amos was a prophet preaching to the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC. At that time the ten tribes that occupied this territory were seriously divided into the ”haves” and the “have-nots.” Those of wealth were unjustly taking great advantage of those who had no money. The observance of their religion was wholly insincere. Amos had a vision that a swarm of locusts would descend on their fields just after the king’s share of hay had been cut an the grass was starting to grow again. Amos prayed, “ ‘Sovereign Lord, forgive your people! How can they survive? They are so small and weak!’ The Lord changed His mind and said, ‘What you saw will not take place.’ “
Our Lord and Savior also had the capacity and authority to forgive. We see this clearly in the story of his healing the paralyzed man in Mark 2: 1-12. The people had so much faith in Christ’s ability to heal that they passed the man with the mat upon which he sat through a hole in the roof above the place where Jesus was, so as to bring him close. In (5), Christ pronounced the man forgiven. Some teachers of the law nearby expressed their opinion that this was blasphemy. Christ responded in (10) staying, “I will prove to you, then that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then he told the man to “pick up your mat and go home.” In (12) while all the people watched, the once paralyzed man obeyed. The people praised God and were amazed.
These Bible accounts are revealed to us, so that we can see an example to follow that is set by the Father and the Son. While we may not be capable of miracles, we can certainly see the benefits forgiving others brings. Our Lord’s attitude about this is seen in the citation I gave the other day and want to repeat here, because it is so important. MT 6: 14-15 “If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done. “ This same Godly principle is seen in the parable of the unforgiving servant (MT 18: 21-35) which I hope you will read for yourself.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians in about 60 AD, it was during a time of tense relations between him and that church. Paul began in prayer ( 2 COR 3-11) and then wrote of his decision to change his itinerary in 2 COR 1:12-2:4 More importantly, he spoke to them about forgiveness 2 COR 2: 5-1. He said, “When you forgive someone for what he has done, I forgive him too…when I forgive I do it in God’s presence, because of you, in order to keep Satan from getting the upper hand over us, for we know what his plans are.”
John takes up this subject in 1 JN 1: 9, “But if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is right. He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.”
I would like to testify to the soul-healing effects of granting forgiveness in my own life. For me, it has been the difference between merely existing and really living. That is what living “in Christ” can be like. As the Christmas season approaches, I hope you will give deep and prayerful consideration to granting forgiveness to the wrongdoers in your lives. You not only give them a gift, but you honor the Lord in doing so. When you honor the Lord, you are truly blessed.
PRAYER: O Lord, grant us the willingness to forgive those who have acted against us in our lives. Give us the courage to follow the example that You and the Son have given us. Let us remember that You offered us the greatest forgiveness of all by Your willingness to allow Christ to be sacrificed on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. Amen.
I hope that you will enjoy the healing of your souls that comes from granting forgiveness. It is also my hope that you will be encouraged in your faith as you celebrate the birth of the Son. Know that a lot of love comes your way from our house too.
Grace and Peace Be With You Always,
Lynn