DAILY BYTE
The author Trevor Hudson makes the point that:
“Personal stories sometimes convey far more than abstract theories and logical discussion.”
With this in mind, and noting the extreme difficulty many people have with forgiveness (some for very good reasons), we will be spending the rest of this week looking at several different stories of forgiveness in the hope that the personal life lessons these stories provide will inspire us towards forgiveness as a way of life.
Today’s story of forgiveness comes from that same author Trevor Hudson, and is one directly related to the history of South Africa.
“In recent years we have witnessed some remarkable acts of forgiveness in South Africa. Many of these have taken place during the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a process designed to bring together the perpetrators and victims of apartheid. One of the most moving was the testimony of a sixteen-year-old teenager. Her father had been involved in the liberation struggle. In the mid-eighties he was detained, never to be seen alive again. She wanted to know who had killed him. As she put it, ‘I want to know the name of the person responsible for killing my father, so that I can learn to forgive him.’”
Hudson goes on to reflect:
“Her words have challenged me deeply. Forgiveness must surely be one of the most difficult things any human being can be asked to do. But this is what we are called to as Christ followers.”
Today’s focus reading tells of a time when Peter asked Jesus how often he had to forgive. Peter knew that most Rabbis of the day were teaching a concept of limited forgiveness – that you should forgive someone who wrongs you up to three times. However, Peter also knew that Jesus was quite unlike other teachers of the day, which is probably why he went for the bigger figure of seven. He probably thought that would really impress Jesus, but Jesus’ answer was sure to surprise not only Peter, but also anyone else listening to their conversation.
‘Not just seven times Peter, but seventy times seven.’ That works out to 490 times! No one would be able to remember a list of wrongs that long, unless you kept a logbook. Jesus’ point here is that we should never actually stop forgiving. We should never stop learning to forgive as that young woman in Hudson’s story expressed it.
Jesus revolutionised the popular teaching of the day by encouraging a concept of unlimited forgiveness! Christ encouraged us to be like God in this matter, to adopt forgiveness and mercy as a lifestyle. There is no doubt that such teaching is both difficult and threatening but we can never escape just how important it is.
PRAY AS YOU GO
O Lord, at times we find your grace and love very threatening. We rejoice to hear that we are forgiven by you, but sometimes we struggle with the news that you also forgive people we find reprehensible. Fill us with your loving Spirit and move us to a place where we can deal with this and begin to learn to forgive. Amen.
FOCUS VERSE
Matthew 18. 21-22 NIV
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
