"Forgiveness"

Forgiveness

 “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Luke 23:32-34

 Forgive:

to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.

to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).

to grant pardon to (a person).

to cease to feel resentment against:

to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: (dictionary.com)

 The word "forgive" appears in the Bible over 120 times. The word "forgiven" appears 42 times, "forgiveth" appears twice, and "forgiving" appears four times. The first reference to "forgive" is in Genesis 50:17, and the last reference is in 1 John 1:9. The New Testament uses the terms "forgive" and "forgiveness" interchangeably a total of 49 times. 

One of the most well-known Bible passages about forgiveness is Matthew 18:21-22. Jesus tells Peter to forgive someone “seventy times seven.” Many commentaries understand this to mean that Jesus was telling Peter that there should be no limit to the number of times we choose to forgive someone. 

 But forgiving others is often easier said than done. I’m sure you’ve heard the common phrase, “forgive and forget.” We often associate the act of forgiving someone with the act of forgetting their wrongdoing. One thing we must remember is that we may not ever forget the hurt that others have caused us, but we can still choose to forgive. You will not find the word forget anywhere in the definition of forgiveness. 

 The New Testament was originally written in Greek. In Luke 23, the word “said” is written in the imperfect tense, which indicates a continuous action. When Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,” it wasn’t just a one-time act of forgiveness; rather, it suggests an ongoing process of forgiveness.

 Dr. Hershel Ford pastored for many years in the South. Here is what he had to say about the continuance of this saying…

“When He arrived at Calvary, He looked around Him and prayed, “Father, forgive them.’ When the soldiers crushed Him down and laid Him upon the cross, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them.’ When He was lifted up on the cross, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them.’ When the soldiers gambled for His garments, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them.’”

 Jesus is our supreme example of forgiveness. When we think about the perfect Son of God being crucified for our sins and wrongs, it amazes me that He still says, “Father, forgive them.” He deserved none of the punishment, torture, or pain of the cross, yet He was still focused on the forgiveness of those who gave it to him. 

 Many times we choose not to forgive someone because they haven’t asked for our forgiveness. Our willingness to forgive often depends on the willingness of someone else to admit wrongdoing and seek our forgiveness. But nobody asked for Jesus’ forgiveness at the cross that day. Not one soldier or mocker in the crowd admitted their wrongdoing and sought to make things right with Jesus. But He truly is our ultimate example of forgiveness. He forgave them anyway, just like He forgives us every time we sin against Him. 

We must come to a place where we choose to forgive others even if they never ask. This doesn’t mean we have to forget what happened or even seek friendship with the person who hurt us. It doesn’t mean that we have to go out to eat or get coffee; however, it does mean that I don’t allow the hurt from someone else to cause bitterness and ill will within me, but instead, I choose to forgive them.