“Total Forgiveness- Part 3”
Text: Luke 6:27-36
9-21-03
Grace, Mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. There was once a Pastor who arrived at his new Church and his first Sunday in the pulpit he delivered a powerful sermon that really hit home with the congregation. On the way out of church, many of the people thanked the Pastor for that sermon. The next Sunday, he preached ANOTHER powerful sermon. But a few people noticed that it was the exact same one from the week before! It seemed a little strange but nobody mentioned it. They just filed out and thanked the Pastor again. Well, this went on for several weeks!! The same sermon, over and over. Finally, one of the Elders got up the gumption and said to the Pastor, “You know, you’ve preached the same sermon for the past month. How many more times are planning on preaching it!?!?” And the minister responded, “I’ll quit preaching it, when you folks start living it!!”
Last week, after 2 sermons in a row about Forgiveness, one of my kids asked, “Dad, how many more times are you going to preach on this!?!?” Maybe some of you were wondering the same thing. I’m tempted to say, “I’ll quit preaching it, when you folks start living it!!” Instead, I’ll tell you what I told my family. There’s so much that we could learn here about Forgiveness that I could preach a month or more on this same topic. But I won’t. I think that this will be my last sermon on it... for a while at least. Hopefully the seeds of what we’ve been learning will continue to sprout and grow in your hearts and minds. If per chance there are still questions about Forgiveness after this sermon, I’m asking that you either write them down or ask me personally. That way, down the road, I can address those specific concerns. And trust me, if you have the question in your mind, somebody else is asking it too!!
So lets get down to business. Last time I left you with several questions to consider. Two of those were: “How can I Forgive someone who is dead or that I’ve lost track of??” And... “Am I supposed to Forgive someone who isn’t even sorry for their sin against me??” Actually, these two questions are directly related. Because you see, Totally Forgiving someone is NOT contingent on whether they seek to receive that Forgiveness. It’s something we’re supposed to do in our hearts... REGARDLESS of the other person’s attitude. Listen closely... even if they’re not sorry for what they’ve done, you can... and you SHOULD still Totally Forgive them. I know that sounds radical, but Friends, this is how God teaches us to Forgive... and it’s how He Forgives us!!
I bet you’re a little skeptical right about now. Well, let me prove it to you from God’s own Holy Word. I’d direct your attention to the Gospel Reading from last week, in Luke 15:11-24. Just to refresh your memory, this is the parable of the Prodigal Son. When that boy came to his senses (v.18), he decided to go home to his Father and say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” But look at what happens in verse 21!! Even before the boy can get those apologetic words out of his mouth... the Father runs up to him and embraces him! Folks, that’s a strong indication that Dad had ALREADY forgiven his wayward son before he could even say “I’m sorry.” God is the Father in that story, and us sinners are that wayward son. Okay... but that son in the parable was SORRY for the hurt and pain he had caused. What about the people who are NOT sorry or repentant?? Well, lets look at a short but very familiar Bible passage. It’s found in Luke 23:34. Many of you know this verse by heart. Jesus was dying on the Cross, and he looked down at the people who were mocking Him and who had crucified Him and who had rejected Him ... and He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” For all we know, many of those people went to their graves without ever acknowledging their sins and without ever ASKING for Forgiveness. And yet Jesus prayed for their Forgiveness!! Follow me very closely here. When Jesus died on the Cross, He died for the sins of the WHOLE world. He died even for the sins of unrepentant sinners!! The problem is, they have refused and rejected that Forgiveness. But their lack of repentance didn’t stop Jesus from asking His Father to Forgive them!!
Still not convinced?? Then look at our Gospel Reading for today from Luke 6. Read verses 27-28 out loud with me: 27 {Jesus said} "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Who is it that Jesus says we’re supposed to do all these nice things to?? Repentant friends or apologetic family?? No... ENEMIES!! Can we safely assume that an “enemy” is someone who is NOT sorry for hurting us... and is NOT about to ask for Forgiveness?? You better believe it!! Yet Jesus says to treat them in ways that sure sound to me like Total Forgiveness. It doesn’t matter if that person remains an enemy and refuses to seek Forgiveness. That’s got nothing to do with the miracle of Forgiveness in your heart. Our only job is to Forgive, and leave that other person’s attitude in God’s hands.
Does that sound impossible... to Forgive an unrepentant ENEMY?? That’s what God did!! Listen to what St. Paul says in Romans 5:10, “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” In other words, Jesus died on the Cross for us while we were still God’s ENEMIES... and before any of us had ever confessed our sins to God and asked for Forgiveness. And that’s how He wants us to Forgive one another... even our Unrepentant Enemies.
I know what you’re thinking. “God is perfect and holy!! I’m a sinner. I could never Forgive the way God does!!” You’re right. On our own, we could never follow God’s example of Total Forgiveness. But that’s why we sing that verse from Psalm 51 in our services: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” God’s Holy Spirit can create that kind of a Forgiving heart within us... if we’ll just let Him!!
Maybe you’re thinking that this doesn’t sound very fair. I mean, if you Forgive someone for hurting you or doing wrong... and they’re never forced to recognize their sin... then they’re gonna get away with it, Scott-free, right?? Wrong!! Do you believe that God is fair and just?? I do!! And I know that He will make things right. I don’t have to. But if you honestly feel you just HAVE to get some revenge... then my advice is... Go Ahead!! Yes, you heard me right, Go Ahead!! Get revenge the way St. Paul said in our Reading from Romans 12. He says there in verse 20, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Yeah!! You want to do something really nasty to pay somebody back?? Then be nice to them!! Or as Jesus said, pray for them and ask God to bless them!! I know it sounds nuts, but it works. It has to... because it comes from God! That doesn’t mean that you set yourself up to be your enemy’s doormat or punching bag. No way!! But we can still be kind and Forgiving without turning ourselves in victims. Don’t stoop to their level. As St. Paul says, (21) “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Right about now, some of you are thinking, “I know God wants me to Totally Forgive others and let go of their sins against me. But if I’m the Victim... why should I have to keep giving and giving and giving?? What’s in it for me??” You guys are too polite to say that out loud because it sounds selfish, doesn’t it?? Well, don’t be embarrassed. It’s a legitimate question... and guess what?? There IS something fantastic in this for you. God has an awesome, overwhelming Peace for your mind and for your soul if you will practice Total Forgiveness. In other words, YOU will benefit from Totally Forgiving others!!
If you think about it, it makes sense. If you refuse to Totally Forgive and let go of a hurt that was committed against you... who suffers?? YOU DO!! People who hold onto those kind of feelings only hurt themselves. That person who did the damage to you isn’t going to be hurt by you withholding Forgiveness. And quite frankly, some of them will go skipping through life, happy-go-lucky... while YOU have a sour knot in your stomach every time you think of them. Why get an ulcer or high blood pressure?? Just let it go!! And turn it over to God!!
I know... that sounds easier said than done. But trust me, you can do it with God’s help! Let me share with you how this unbelievable miracle took place in my heart... and I’m confident that God will make it work for you too. In the last year... and even in just the last WEEK... I’ve had to practice Total Forgiveness. And as I said to you before, it’s not easy. It’s very, very difficult. You know why?? Because even after I’ve said, “Lord, I want to Forgive that person,” my mind keeps replaying what happened. And those hurt feelings and resentment come back with a passion. Then I start dreaming up scenes where I meet that person... and I dream of all the things I might say to them... and all the things they might say to me. And before long, my stomach is in a knot again... and I can’t sleep because I’m thinking about it!! I DO NOT enjoy that!!
But you know what works to get those thoughts out of my mind?? The words of Jesus in verse 27-28 of our text. When my mind starts thinking of that person and what they did to hurt me, I stop and ask God... to bless them!! It’s the last thing in the world I want to do, but it’s what Christ has told me I should do. I repeat to God that I want to Totally Forgive them and let go of that memory. Then I ask Him to truly bless them. And you know what?? That video in my mind stops replaying all those scenes that had me so worked up. That’s because you can’t stay upset with someone whom you’re asking God to bless!! I guarantee that if you’ll try it, it will work for you too. How can I guarantee it?? Because it comes directly from God’s Word... and His Word is ALWAYS reliable.
Now here comes the selfish part. When you ask God to truly bless that person, guess who also gets a blessing?? You do!! Because in place of that bitterness... and that sour stomach... and that high blood pressure... you will receive a Peace like you’ve never felt before. There will be a peace and calm in your heart that truly “surpasses all understanding.” I challenge you to try it. I double dog dare you to!! You’ve got nothing but good things to gain from it.
Let me say though, that this isn’t a one-shot deal. You will have to do it over and over and over again. I’ll be honest... it will be harder at first. And you may have to turn off those memories by asking God to bless that person every single day for the rest of your life. The deeper the hurt, the more difficult this process will be. Especially when it’s someone you were close to. But once you taste that inner Peace from God, it gets easier and easier to practice Total Forgiveness, because you know the Great Blessing that YOU’RE going to get out of it.
We’ve got one last question we need to answer: Does Total Forgiveness mean the same thing as Total Reconciliation?? From a human standpoint, the answer is No. From God’s standpoint, the answer is Yes. As sinful human beings, we strive to be more and more like our God... with His help. But in this life, it will be a struggle. There are going to be situations where a person has hurt you that you are never going to be Totally Reconciled with them. Lets use two examples of opposite extremes. Say a guy murdered someone you loved... and wasn’t even sorry for it. With God’s help, you CAN learn to Totally Forgive him. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to invite him over for dinner. On the other hand, if someone close to you causes a deep hurt, even though you Totally Forgive them... your relationship will probably never be the same. That’s just a sad fact of life in a sinful world. Can God rebuild a damaged relationship?? Yes... and I believe that sometimes, He even makes it stronger after Forgiveness and Reconciliation have happened.
Especially within the Christian Church this is Oh so important. Look again at Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5. He says, “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” You see, it is a powerful Evangelism tool when people see that we have TOTALLY Forgiven one another. And when we’re able to be Reconciled with people who we were at odds with... it’s a living illustration to the world of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. By Totally Forgiving and striving for Reconciliation... we are preaching the Gospel of Jesus with the world!! By our actions, they are seeing a reflection of what God is offering to them. The best part is that in the process... WE benefit from that miracle taking place in our hearts... the other person benefits... and God smiles down with great pleasure as He sees His children imitating the Love and Total Forgiveness that He has showered upon us. May God give us all the humility and the courage to Totally Forgive the way that He has Totally Forgiven us. Amen.
