Week 05

by Kathleen Petersen

Throughout the 1970s I lived in Washington, DC, which has more than twice as many lawyers per capita than any other U.S. city. After that decade, I was drawn to enter the legal profession.

My course of study revealed that the legal system was designed originally as a substitute for brutal, physical conflict when a wrong had been perpetrated as a “civilized” alternative to raw vengeance. What a relief! Vengeance has no record of settling anything but creates massive need for further retaliation.
As I continued my career, the term “making one whole” was used frequently:

“Make one whole” is a theory of remedying a breach of contract or other legal obligation. The idea is that someone should be awarded damages to put that person in the same position they would have been if the obligation was not broken.

In theory, lawsuits are a relatively painless method to settle differences or stop a renegade from harming others. In reality, lawsuits are time-consuming, messy, agonizing, and frightfully expensive, leaving all parties unsatisfied in many respects.

Is there a better way?
The following portion of the Lord’s Prayer upon which we’ve been meditating this week, indicates God’s path when someone has wronged us:

 … and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors… For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins. Matthew 6:12,14-15 NET

Perhaps forgiveness of your debtor has proven elusive, or maybe your debtor hasn’t ceased harmful behavior. Here’s further encouragement to continue
your pursuit of the Way of Jesus.

Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. Romans 12:19-21 CSB

Because we belong to God, we must turn away thoughts and acts of vengeance. Our Father in Heaven is the only one capable of providing wholeness or closure in cases of harmful, selfish or deeply evil actions against us without creating even more chaos. 

But how should we handle our frustration when God’s response seems too slow or destined to be fulfilled only at the Great White Throne of Judgment?
The Romans passage above doesn’t impede followers of Jesus from establishing healthy and necessary boundaries with an offending person. Furthermore,
godly counseling, arbitration or mediation are not excluded. Lawsuits can even be appropriate in certain circumstances. 

The most amazing revelation in Romans 12:21 above is that God has placed his amazing power in us. He enables us to see the place where we can step into his acts of forgiveness and kindness designed to soften hearts gripped by the power of sin and the devil. We can be instruments of his mercy designed to turn them toward Jesus – humanity’s only source of wholeness. 

Has forgiving your enemies or showing them mercy changed them? If so, how has that experience changed you? Has someone forgiven or shown kindness to you and changed your life? Share your experience of God’s mercy with someone who has not yet trusted Jesus.

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Sermon on the Mount.

“Balance the Books”

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by Bruce Hanson

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:12, 14

As the devotional team met to talk about the verses above, we discussed the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. We only truly have control over the first. The second may or may not ever occur. But forgiveness is something we fervently seek because of its impact on our own hearts. Forgiveness led me to consider another significant verse.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

For too many, wrongs done to them render the heaviest of burdens. How can I possibly forgive? I was hurt so badly!! Bitterness seems the natural outcome, but it eats at our hearts and dims the Holy Spirit’s light as He tries to shine through our lives. The following is not the answer.

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him,
“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22

Before going further, I want to give Peter a little pass. Peter ALWAYS speaks his mind. Trouble is, that speaking his mind sometimes leads Peter to place both feet in his mouth. But he is honest and seems to always repent when he missteps. Reading between the lines, Peter has likely just forgiven someone he has already forgiven more than once, and he is seeking kudos from Jesus. He needs to justify his actions, but there are no formulas here.

As humans, we tend to like formulas. If we do this (x), we get this (y). The trouble is that forgiveness is a condition of our hearts, not of our heads. It is seldom as simple as 2 + 2 = 4. More often than not, the need for forgiveness reflects a serious internal wound. We can’t come up with an answer and end up carrying that burden around with us everywhere we go. It is literally back-breaking. It interferes with everything we do. 

I am reminded of these words from Hebrews:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily
entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, Hebrews 12:1-2a

More often than not, forgiveness is not so much about the other person. It is about our own letting go. We have the perfect example in Hosea.

He was a godly man with an ungodly wife, Gomer. Gomer was repeatedly involved in extramarital promiscuity. In our culture that would be bad. In Hosea’s,
it was beyond despicable. But Hosea loved his wife, so his willingness to forgive her changed everything.

I am well aware that forgiveness is not always easily acquired. It may take days and days, even years of talking with God. But in the end it is a fruit worth seeking, and a fruit you may share with everyone else who crosses your path. Lay your burdens down.

Seek those smiles!! The world needs yours!!

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Red Couch Theology Podcast
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Sermon Conversations with Alex and Aaron

Sermon on the Mount.

“Balance the Books”

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by Sherry Sommer

Last week our devotional team talked about what Jesus says about forgiveness. 

Aaron compared people to unbalanced scales — a depiction that is simple and yet very accurate. The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. That falling short means that we will all be hurt by others and hurt others. We long for justice, but there’s so much we don’t see or understand in ourselves and in the world around us. Without God’s help forgiveness isn’t possible. 

Jesus has high standards for forgiveness; he says we can’t hold anything against  anyone. Without God’s help, forgiveness may seem foolish to us. We might instinctively want to extract vengeance or sacrificially to carry the weight of our hurt.  We may even feel that being unforgiving will make the scales of our hearts or the hearts of others more balanced. Jesus is telling us to do the opposite of what our instincts tell us. We need to forgive everyone we might hold a grudge against: 

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Mark 11:25

To achieve forgiveness is far beyond human comprehension.  For a long time, it was really difficult for me even to understand what forgiveness was. I knew what it wasn’t — it wasn’t minimizing or enabling sin, or brushing it under the rug. My son once defined it as “Not letting how you’ve been sinned against dominate your thoughts or making it everyone else’s business.”  That seems reasonable.  Kathleen Petersen had a helpful insight in our meeting — she pointed out that Matthew 6:12 describes sin as a debt: 

 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

That helped me visualize more what needs to happen when I forgive — I need to recognize that sin creates a real debt, which for us, walking in “The Way of Jesus”, implies that it’s not up to us to collect. Only Jesus is able to cover that debt. He reconciles us to himself and he works to transform hearts. He works for good even in bad circumstances. Only he has the perfect judgment and power to do this work..   

Jesus says that, to the extent that we forgive, he is able to forgive us. He is asking us to forgive as a way of life, not just as one time actions. The forgiveness Jesus asks for is not simple. It is not something we can do by willpower or by following a technique. I do know that what Jesus commands us to do, he will make it possible.

 Jesus tells us to pray,  “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This is not a scattershot or individualist prayer. He tells us to forgive as an entire community of believers. Let’s pray for the insight and dependence on Jesus we need, so that we can be a people who forgive continually and well. 

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by Grace Hunter

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 NIV

This week we focus on our individual and corporate need for forgiveness, as well as our individual and corporate need to forgive other people. The course of action in this verse is vital. This is a petition: it is an asking of God to forgive us of our sins, of our misdeeds, of our offenses done against God and against others. There are many Psalms that express petition in beautiful and expressive language. Look at David’s language in Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me. Psalm 51:1-3

Did you notice that He asks God for his personal forgiveness? David wrote this Psalm and prayed this prayer after committing adultery with Bathsheba and after committing the murder of her husband. David had definitely sinned against other people in this situation, but first he asks for forgiveness of God. He acknowledges that God alone can forgive our sins.  

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17

In this section of Psalm 51, David’s humility is clearly expressed. We are not able to seek forgiveness from God or from anyone else if we do not first see that sin clearly in ourselves. But sin rarely only affects us. Usually at least one other person has been affected, hurt, or offended by our sinful actions. So, back to the order of Jesus’ prayer. Once we have asked for our own forgiveness, then we need to acknowledge and ask for forgiveness for “our” sins, those that have been committed by us as a family, as a city, as a nation, as a people.

You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

Relent, O LORD ! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us-
yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:8, 13-14, 17 NIV

Moses prayed for the Nation of Israel in Psalm 90. He acknowledged God as the one who can forgive, who can show compassion, and the one who can restore the relationship between God and His people, Israel.

Only after we have asked for forgiveness, are we able to see clearly, and are able to offer forgiveness to those who have hurt, offended or sinned against us.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 NIV

 

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.