Forgiveness #1 – Collecting Debt

Made on Haiku Deck

A year ago, I wrote a chapter about forgiveness for a potential book.  This study was fascinating to me and was very beneficial.  I was greatly helped in this study by the aid of Jim Savage, a local mentor and counselor.  I do not know when or if this chapter will be printed, so I wanted to release portions of it on this blog, because I want to get the content and message out there.  I will likely release this information in three posts.  I hope they will bless you. 

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         Louis Zamperini was back in America, back to the freedom he had longed for as a prisoner of war in Japan during the Second World War.  But the war was not over in his mind.  Each night his tormenter, a Japanese camp leader nicknamed “the Bird” who had horribly abused Louie for years, would come to him in apparitions screaming and wielding his abusive blows.  He suffered fits of anxiety and sunk into depression and alcoholism.  Louie, who had been an Olympic runner before the war, saw his attempt to run again shattered due to an old ankle injury.  With this goal lost, his aim became to return to Japan and kill the Bird;  it became his obsession.  His new marriage was suffering as they struggled financially and as he sunk deeper into alcoholism.  His emotional pain was wrecking his life.  He was no longer in a physical prison, but now he was in a deeper and darker prison, one made in the mind and heart that was walled by bitterness, hate, rage, and guilt (Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand).

          The story of Louis has, in varying degrees, been played out in each of our lives, because every person must deal with offenses and hurts inflicted by others.  It might be the abused child who, now as an adult, must forgive his father, or with the common place of sexual affairs in our culture, a spouse who has to deal with the pain of betrayal.  But it doesn’t always have to be such a significant offense to cause us pain and bitterness.  Gossip, malicious talk, and cold shoulders cause hurt and pain that if not forgiven eats away at our peace and joy.  With this subject, we truly see the “good news” of the gospel as it is the true source of our forgiveness (Rom. 8:1).

JESUS’ COMMANDMENT TO FORGIVE

          We are a debt collecting and debt owing people.  We even use language like, “I owe,” or “they are obligated to me,” or “I am indebted to them.”  With this financial language in the background, Jesus spoke of forgiveness in the sermon on the mount.  He said, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Mat. 6:12).  In case, we missed His point, He added, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses‘ (Mat. 6:14-15).  Thus for the Christian, the matter of forgiveness is not optional.  It is truly an issue of our faith, that calls us to a higher standard than what the world operates upon.  We are called to cancel the debt.

            Later, Peter asked Jesus, “How often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  As many as seven times?” (Mat. 18:21).  Jesus‘ responded with his now famous “seventy times seven” (Mat. 18:22).  Jesus was not giving a concrete number, but rather making the point that record keeping has no place with true forgiveness.  Forgiveness is to become a part of our nature, a habit that we do.  Imagine literally trying to forgive someone 490 times.  Do you think you could keep track of them?  Jesus was saying there is no formula for when revenge and bitterness is justified.  The Christian is to keep on forgiving so that they never have to deal with bitterness, guilt, and revenge.  You count your forgiveness, not your injuries!  Paul said that true love, “keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Cor. 13:5).

          Jesus went on to tell a parable about an unforgiving servant (Mat. 18:25-35).  The servant could not pay his tremendous debt of 10,000 talents, which was an incredible amount of money, that he had no hope of paying;  no matter the time, effort, or resources available.  Yet his master forgave him the debt!  The forgiven servant then finds his servant who owed a much smaller debt of 100 denarii and demanded he pay it.  When he was unable to pay the debt the forgiven servant delivers him to prison until he could pay the debt.  This story captures so many humans who in relationships demand they are paid what they are owed, unaware of the grace and mercy that has been offered to them.  Unforgiven people are unforgiving people.  This servant, though he was forgiven, did not grasp the significance and obligation of his forgiveness.  Because of his harsh and unforgiving actions, the master, who represents God in the parable, had him delivered to the jailers.  Then Jesus closed with this sober commandment, “So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Mat. 18:35).

TO BE CONTINUED — In the next post we will try to understand the nature and obligations of forgiveness.