Live Free -- Forgive

Exodus 14:19-31; Matthew 18:21-35

NO 9/14/08 MW 

Scene 

Jesus continues with his lessons to the Disciples.  This time it is in response to a question from Peter, "How many times are we to forgive someone who hurts us?"  Peter may have been thinking about the pain when Jesus turned to him and called him Satan or perhaps something has happened within the ranks of the Disciples that we are not made aware.  How many times are we to forgive someone? 

Now, as I understand it, Peter was being most generous when he asked if seven would be enough.  It seems that Jewish custom at that time was that you would forgive three times but never a forth.  Jesus responds with seventy-seven.  We usually interpret this simply to mean as many as needed. 

      Quickly 

I saw this in just a little different light and heard it that we are to forgive as much as needed and as quickly as possible.  Forgiveness is a process that Jesus is telling us to get on with it while the hurt is hot. 

            Egyptian Realization 

In the Hebrew scripture reading this morning, we heard how when the wheels quit turning for the Egyptian army it was said, "We need to get out of here as fast as possible for God is on their side."  Obviously, they should have seen this earlier and made the decision before they got to the level of not being able to take care of themselves. 

A good time, for example, for this statement to have been made would have been when the waters parted.  They, however, had decided to get even with the Israelites and to take everything they had and enjoy the spoils.  It is the old story of having to get revenge and of having to show one’s power. 

Notice, it did not work for the Egyptians and it does not work today.  The story of God is one of forgiveness and if there is to ever be any revenge it will be done by God without our help.   

The Great Forgiveness Mistake 

I cannot tell you how many people I've known as a counselor and pastor who come to me and say something like, "I went to God and asked that so-in-so would be forgiven for hurting me." or, "I've prayed that God will forgive me for hurting so-in-so."   We mistakenly think that it is a case of, "It's just you and me, Lord."  We cannot leave the other person or persons out and experience the freedom of genuine forgiveness. 

      The Very First Step of Forgiveness 

The reason that I've heard Jesus saying, "Begin the forgiveness process as quickly as possible!" is because the very first thing you have to do is turn loose of the others throat!  We may not literally have someone by the throat but we will be attempting to choke them talking about how wrong they are or about how bad they are or just thinking thoughts such as, "Why would they do this to me?"  Had the slave who had been forgiven in the Gospel story turned loose of the others throat and listened to him as he had been listened to this story would have been very different. 

            The Next Steps 

The next steps in forgiving others are to look into ones heart and discover those times when you were forgiven by others and by God.  If you can find those experiences, you will be able to hear Jesus encouraging you to move on to get with the other party and work through the hurt to the freedom of forgiveness.  This takes time, effort and sometimes discomfort for everyone involved but it is worth the effort, time and discomfort. 

Forgiveness Freedom 

Jesus makes an observation easily overlooked when we read the passage.  If, however, you read it aloud you are more likely to hear what he says about the relationship of forgiving and God.  Verse 33, "Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?"  You might very well hear Jesus saying we are to pray, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." 

To forgive sets us free to live today and not be stuck in our yesterdays.  To live as a forgiver is to live with the freedom to continue relationships that have been damaged.  Forgiveness is the door to a freedom life because it reflects the way God lives.  Jesus tells us that we are to forgive as God forgives us. 

      Definition of Forgiveness 

Too often, folks think of forgiveness as a sentence: “I forgive you.” It is not a sentence but a lifelong process.  Forgiveness is a way of living one’s life.  Dr. Brad Braxton, Associate Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Vanderbilt Divinity School, offers this definition of forgiveness:  “Forgiveness is the disciplines, lifelong commitment to offer Godly reactions to ungodly actions.”1  To say, “I forgive you” is an easy statement but a searching of one’s very soul in order to allow God’s Spirit to work in you what God has had to work through to give us Christ Crucified and Christ Resurrected – the very soul of our Christian belief.  God’s forgiveness of our sinfulness is the very source of our forgiving those who hurt us in any way. 

Let me share a story with you. 

Most likely you have never hear of Eva Moses Kor but her testimony about forgiveness is important for us to hear.  I want to read her statement in order to make certain we hear her. 

I, Eva Moses Kor, a twin who survived as a child Josef Mengele experiment at Auschwitz 50 years ago, hereby give amnesty to all Nazis who participated directly or indirectly in the murder of my family and millions of others.

Forgiveness is nothing more and nothing less but an act of self-healing, an act of self-empowerment. Pain was lifted from my shoulder. There I was no longer a victim of Auschwitz. There I was no longer a prisoner of my tragic past. There I was finally free. This is the last picture of the family. Everybody here, except me, are dead.  

My mother was still holding on to us as the SS was running around, yelling in German, “Twins.” And at that moment another SS came, pulled my mother in one direction and we were left, Miriam and I, holding hands, completely bewildered, crying, not knowing what would happen to us. They burned into my left arm the capital letter “A-7063.” We were taken to our barracks. There on the filthy floor were scattered corpses of three children, so I made a silent pledge that I will do anything within my power to make sure that Miriam and I shall not end up on that filthy, littered floor.  

I arrived in Auschwitz a very religious child. I don’t think that after the war I was ever again religious. I don’t know if there is a God or not, and if there is, I want a debate when I go up there. I never, ever thought that I would ever forgive anybody. Then I remembered that a documentary was done by German television and there was a Nazi doctor from Auschwitz and I figured that he might be still alive. He treated me with the utmost respect and he was extremely remorseful that he was part of that regime. I tried to figure out, how can I thank a Nazi for helping me document the history and the operation of the gas chamber? I said to myself, how about a simple letter of forgiveness?  

Now, there are people, of course, of faith who might say that it was God’s will. In my opinion, forgiveness is a seed for peace. Victimhood and anger is a seed for war. If we could teach every angry person what the anger can create…and instead of being angry, that they can turn their life around and become creative members of society, we would not need any more tanks or bombs.  

                        Courage and Strength 

Eva Moses Kor demonstrates the courage and strength it takes to live a forgiving life and she openly admits it is not easy.  This is not a “forgive and forget” formula that generally means we will live in denial but it is forgiveness from one’s very soul.  It is a coming together of divine and human so that the divine can be seen. 

            Michael Siegel, Senior Rabbi of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago, tells a 19th century story on forgiveness:   

“The great Rabbi Susya of Hanipol was once asked to speak in a far away community. The journey was long and the rain fell for most of it. When he finally arrived in the community it was already late and there was no time to freshen up or change his clothes. Rabbi Susya went to the Synagogue with filthy clothes on. At the door he was reprimanded by one of the townspeople. “Don’t you know that the great Rabbi Susya is coming today? How dare you beggars come around wearing such filthy clothing?” And he was sent away. The next morning the Rabbi was introduced to the community. After his lecture the man came and apologized to the Rabbi for the case of mistaken identity. To this Rabbi Susya said: “It is not me that you should be asking forgiveness, it is from all beggars.”2 

Conclusion 

If you want to live a free life, it is imperative that you forgive those who have sinned against you.  There is no getting even.  There may be no protecting oneself.  Forgiveness is the important way of God and God has forgiven everyone everywhere for sins against God many more than seventy-seven times.  Jesus tells us to live free by living the way God lives.  God Forgives!