Forgiveness – Sure, It’s for You; But It’s Really for Me
While preparing for this past Sunday’s ministry, I read through the first reading, Second Samuel 12:7-10, 13; and the Gospel, Luke 7:36-50 and found the same message — forgiveness. I asked the children how it felt when someone forgave them. Of course, they said good. Next, I asked them how it felt when they apologized to someone and they were forgiven. That got me some puzzled looks from a few of the younger children, and a few more “light bulb moments” from the older ones. Then I told them the story of forgiving my Dad. I told them that doing the forgiving was more important than waiting for words that were never said.
While God isn’t my imperfect father, He doesn’t say “I’m sorry” either. Why should He? He doesn’t make mistakes. But some of His decisions about us, our lives, things that He let’s happen, well they make us angry. We think we need an apology. Like my earthly father, I’ve been waiting for it before I could feel that He and I could have a good relationship. With my Dad, I waited 40 years for that to happen. With God … well I’m still waiting.
It’s hard, because when you feel hurt by another you lose trust. I don’t understand why things have happened to me, what I’ve done to deserve them. I have felt that God has had some great laughs at my expense throughout my life. That is hard to forgive. The problem is that He hasn’t, it’s just been how I saw it. That and I’m stubborn.
Sunday’s readings showed that God punished the Israelite but continually forgave them. With them it was always tendered upon them being sorry. In the Gospel, His Son shows us that God finally gave up on waiting for an apology, too. He gave us all Jesus. Through Jesus our sins are forgiven even if we don’t ask.
I’m still working on my stubbornness, but I figure if my Dad could show he was sorry, I can find it in my heart to let it all go. Shouldn’t we all?
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31271806@N04/4807773045/; author: scem.info; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
