The Character of Forgiveness

The strength of character it takes to say and do the right thing when found in the wrong position in life is remarkable. Being able to respond out of love while being abused, rather than out of hate, demonstrates a character so rich at the person’s core that everyone can see who he truly is.

Jesus was a man of such character. His first words after being abused and hung on a cross demonstrated his heart of compassion, not hate or judgment. His words revealed what was at the core of his spirit – Forgiveness.

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34

It isn’t surprising that our heavenly Father, through Jesus, would demonstrate what resided within the core of his heart for us. Nor is it surprising that God would demonstrate it, rather than just tell us about it. After all, he is passionate about his relationship with us, which we can understand since we too take action for those who are important to us.

During this economic down turn I’ve had the opportunity to see what resided within the core of my heart. The verbal and emotional abuse I’ve received from do-gooders and those who felt superior to me was startling. It brought me to a point of decision where I could curse them or forgive them because they didn’t have a clue that their actions and comments were abusive.

I found it intriguing that the abuser was blind to certain realities and made poor decisions, while I could clearly see the abuse and held the knowledge that could help the person correct it. However, the abuser was in no position to hear any form of correction and I seemed to be in a position that required me to accept the abuse in order to receive the help.

While my position in life was degrading, I felt more sorry for the “Christian abuser” because he didn’t have a clue in how he was coming across. He was being a poor witness for Christ, while thinking hew was honoring him by “helping” me. It was a sad demonstration that made me understand why so many walk away from accepting God’s love from “Christians”.

In all its non-denominational contemporary glory, the church seems to have forgotten its sole purpose is the equipping of the saints for ministry. The church’s job is to demonstrate and train its people in how to minister to the poor, orphans and widows. And, train them in how to forgive, as we take the bumpy road together in trying to figure it all out.

My hands were being filled with food after being rejected and disrespected. The person was smiling at me and feeling really great about having helped me. With all the irony surrounding me, all I could do was think about Jesus and what he endured on the cross.

There he was hanging on a cross, forgiving his persecutors, after taking an incredible dose of whipping, ridicule, humiliation, and taunting – Not to mention spikes through his hands and feet. In that moment, Jesus demonstrated how to forgive and why to forgive.

The type of forgiveness Jesus demonstrated is a selfless act given verbally. It is not given in a halfhearted way, nor does it get couched or cloaked in a side comment. It is bold and healthy. It requires an act of the will; letting go of the right that we hold of seeing to someone’s judgment. Forgiveness becomes a plea to God on behalf of our accuser for them to not receive God’s righteous judgment due to their ignorance.

The great news is that forgiveness is powerful.  In the book of John we are told that our heavenly Father follows our demonstration of forgiveness, just as he did for Jesus. In other words, he chooses to forgive those who we forgive.

“If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:23

While this might cause some to feel powerful to the point of desiring to “lord it over” their peers, it is actually humbling when you hold the perspective that our guilty actions require forgiveness from someone else. All the more eye opening is Jesus’ instruction to his disciples about how to pray and the revelation that our heavenly Father responds accordingly.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

I received the food with a thankful heart and asked God to forgive my benefactor for disrespecting me out of ignorance. I also prayed that our church would start training our congregation in how to share compassionate help that is not ignorantly disrespectful.

Respect is an important factor in outreach. Just because someone is going through a difficult economic time, does not mean his innate personal value has slid down with the economy. By demonstrating respect in the process of helping others, they are more likely to see Christ in us.

Besides, I’ve found that the poor many times holds a better perspective on what is important in life than the wealthy. Their insights are to be treasured over the blinded perspective that often accompanies wealth. There is a unique equality that happens when the wealthy share what they have and the poor does likewise. It helps us to obtain a balance between wisdom and our food, shelter and clothing.

Together we see the big picture and understand why Jesus, in the middle of his suffering, forgave those who persecuted him. It was a demonstration of what he held for us deep within his soul. As with all dying men, the heart reveals what’s in a man’s core during his last hour.