The Angry Christian
“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.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
“If ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candy and nuts, our stockings would be full at Christmas.” This rings true most often in the area of forgiveness – which is exactly why Christ singles it out. We are quick to give advice (6:13), speedy to supply a need (6:11), but downright reluctant to forgive. Why? We fail to grasp the radical richness of forgiveness.
A man once owed a great debt and teetered on the verge of losing the family farm. His wife was a wreck, his children in tatters, and the poor man had reached the end of his rope. In a great act of mercy, a king paid off his debt. He was free! He was free! And what did he do with his freedom? He shook down a farmhand over $20. He had no conception of debt, of mercy, and of what the two required. From that point on, mercy was withheld from him. (Mt. 18:23-35)
You may ask, “Who would do such a thing?” I ask: which ‘who’ do you refer? If you refer to the farmhand who owed the $20, then I answer: “everyone.” When a newspaper asked, “What is wrong with the world?” G.K. Chesterton responded, “I am.” We live in a fallen world where we sin and are sinned against. We are as children with muddy feet in a house full of white carpet. If you refer to the man who could not forgive, then I answer: “many.” Far too many “Christians” minimize their own sin while magnifying the sins of others. Guess who else does that? Satan. He who has thought little of their sin has also thought little of their Savior. (Ps. 103:1-2) But if you refer to the king who forgave, I answer: “one – Jesus Christ.”
When the disciples asked Jesus how often they should forgive, Jesus gave a seemingly impossible answer. Forgiveness became hard! Their response? It wasn’t “increase our love” or “increase our hope;” they exclaimed: “Increase our faith!” The answer to forgiveness is not to minimize the sins of others but to maximize the mercy and forgiveness of Christ. Many injured parties, many who have experienced grievous blows have extended forgiveness only because of their faith in Christ – the One who received grievous blows for them. When we were dead in sin, He died for us. When we were ungodly, God died for us. In forgiveness, we are most reluctant, but God willingly and quickly forgives.
Jesus never said that forgiveness would be easy. (Just look at the cross!) But He did say that it was possible. As your pastor-in-print, I know full well how hard it is to forgive, that certain sights, sounds, and smells will rekindle a sorrow deep within your soul. You may be forced to forgive every single day, and that is okay. A cross and a spear were the key which opened for you an endless supply of forgiveness that you may revisit it time and time again for yourself and for others. Ready, be reconciled.
