24 February 2019
Luke 6:27-38
What does it mean to really forgive? It is
usually understood that to forgive means we overlook a transgression done to
us. We don’t hold a grudge. We let it go. We forgive and forget. To be able –
even willing – to do this, the transgressor should apologize and make an effort to atone
for the harm done. The problem is we don’t forget so easily. If we cannot or will not forget, then it must be said we have
not really forgiven. We haven’t really let it go.
To forgive AND forget is probably the hardest thing we can ever
do. Even if we don’t seek vengeance directly, to let go of the hurt and
get to a place at which we can really forgive means we have to swallow our
pride and allow ourselves to become completely vulnerable. This means if
we do not take action to make sure that hurt does not happen again, we have to
allow – and learn to live with – the possibility it may happen again.
As a means of grace, that Divine love and
mercy we desire for ourselves, forgiveness must
be more seriously considered given that our Lord clearly states, “Do
not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be
forgiven” (Luke 6:37). Matthew’s Gospel puts
it more bluntly: “If you do not forgive others, neither will your
Father forgive you” (6:15).
Forgiving someone is hard. We should not believe
it to be otherwise. Like discipleship itself which requires much more
than a spoken profession of faith, it
is not enough to merely apologize with words. If we have really hurt
someone – by their standards rather than our own – then we
have to make it right. Our Lord compels
us to. If someone hurts us,
however, do we require they make it right? Do we assume we are somehow
entitled an apology before we are compelled to forgive?
That’s the trick for us. If someone apologizes,
we can usually tell whether they really are sorry for what they’ve said or
done; but as a means of grace, is forgiveness
contingent? Is it necessary that they
apologize to us when it is we who seek unconditional grace and yet dispense
grace conditionally? We would like the transgressor to acknowledge
they’ve crossed a line, but is their apology really necessary? The short answer is “no” because we’re not
talking about “them” … nor is Jesus.
Note Jesus’ discourse begins with “I say to those who listen …” This may well mean Jesus is unwilling to
waste His breath on any who will not “listen”, who will not take to heart what
He is about to teach. And given the
importance of what He is about to offer, it is necessary that we do more than
hear the words. We must be willing to be
corrected. We must be willing to swallow
our pride. We must be willing to go to a
place of vulnerability, a place of risk-taking that surrenders not to the will
of a godless culture – but to the will of the Anointed One of God who teaches
us not just about forgiveness but what it means to really live free.
We all know something big is happening in St.
Louis. The 2019 Special Called Session
of General Conference is now in full swing with pretty high stakes. Depending on the outcome, the trajectory of
the United Methodist Church could be drastically altered. Yet even prior to this called session, there
have been comments not only in the Arkansas Conference but from other Conferences
around the US – from both sides – that if we don’t get what we want, we will never forgive those who destroyed/altered/weakened
the UMC.
“Never
forgive”. Those words
should never pass the lips of a disciple, a genuine and earnest student of
Jesus. Even as we have declared those
whom we will never forgive to be our enemies, Jesus nevertheless requires – REQUIRES
– those who live by the Word and expect to be justified by The Word to forgive
even those who have (at least in our own eyes) done irreparable harm to
something we love so deeply.
“Love
your enemies. Do good [to your enemies],
and lend [to your enemies], expecting nothing in return … be [as] merciful as
[you expect or hope] your Father is merciful”.
Now why does all this matter? Do we somehow think those who willfully hurt
us will somehow be magically transformed by our mercy? Won’t those who act with such evil intentions
only take advantage of us as we continually put ourselves out there in such a vulnerable
and weakened state? If we give to an
enemy, won’t that enemy only expect more?
“From
anyone who takes your coat, do not withhold even your shirt”. “Turn the other cheek”. “If anyone takes your goods, do not ask for
them again.”
Ridiculous.
Unthinkable. I would rather just “get
saved”, call Jesus my “personal Lord and Savior”, keep my stuff, choose my
company, and go on about my business. I
must admit to you that by these standards, I have no business calling myself a
Christian, let alone a disciple of Christ (yes, there is a profound difference
between the two).
Here is where it begins to matter. First of all, being a genuine disciple goes
far beyond a profession of faith or memorizing the Apostles’ Creed or even
being a member – active or not – of the Church.
We can easily profess what we claim to believe, but we can never be more than we are willing to do. As Jesus so clearly states, we cannot be
forgiven if we are unwilling to forgive.
And we can never fully experience grace (Divine love and mercy) if we
are unwilling to offer that same grace.
If we offer grace conditionally
– say, an apology is not enough for us – then we must reasonably expect those
same conditions to be imposed upon us.
I must also make another confession. My thoughts about this particular subject
have been all over the place. This is
perhaps one of the most challenging, most difficult sermons I’ve ever had to
write, let alone deliver.
I wondered how this could be, given that forgiveness
is the cornerstone of our faith. It should
be simple. Well, it is – theoretically. In reality, however, we cannot talk easily
about something that is not a part of us, something we are unwilling to do
ourselves. We cannot rise above our self-imposed
obstacles, and we can go no further than the chains we freely wear allow us.
Forgiveness is hard.
This is why it took a tortuous death to set us free. This is why our Holy Father could not simply
wave His Mighty Hand and forgive us. For
us to be able to give so fully of ourselves, He had to give so fully of
Himself.
We must step away from the chains that bind us. We must move away from the shackles that
prevent us from being and doing all we have been justified to be and to
do. For it is as our Lord has assured us;
“Give,
and it will be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the
measure you give will be the measure you get back”.
No limits. Full
mercy. Amazing Grace! This is our God, our Shepherd, our very
life! Amen.
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