Devotion: Forgiving Fully
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
Luke 23:32-39
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
There is a piece of wall-art that hangs in our upstairs hallway at the top of the stairs, where all of us can see it when we come and go during the day. My wife and I picked this up in town when we were trying to kill some time on a cold winter afternoon and just wanted to get out of the house. Bear in mind, we typically aren’t the type of people who like to deck the halls of our house with cliché proclamations such as “live, laugh, love.” However, on that cold Saturday afternoon when my wife and I spied that picture, we both gasped and looked at each other without a second thought and said, “Let’s get that.”
This piece is titled “Family Rules” and below the title, there is a list of nine different commitments:
Make Memories
Love Others
Forgive Quickly
Laugh a Lot
Speak Truths
Count Your Blessings
Say I’m Sorry
Be Grateful
Follow Christ
Whenever I look at this wall art and read the words “forgive quickly,” I am reminded of how I am very much like Peter in many ways, but especially when he asks Jesus, “How often should I forgive?” Peter had a way of asking vulnerable questions and namely about forgiveness. I have experienced many sleepless nights asking God this exact same question, “How often should I forgive?” And, I believe what hangs in our upstairs hallway has become an icon that reminds me of Jesus’ response, “seventy-seven times,” or said another way, “Why would I not forgive?”
Fast forward over to Luke 23:32-39, where the worst murder in humanity is taking place. Jesus is hanging on the cross at the very heart of all agony. Not only had Jesus been betrayed, beaten beyond identity, severely dehydrated, stretched out across a tree in misery, but people just wouldn’t stop mocking him. We read of a criminal hurling insulting remarks while the strangers and onlookers were raffling off what little possessions and clothing Jesus had.
And then Jesus says, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Wow. Reading between the words of the scriptures I hear the Spirit say, “forgive.” Forgiveness is beautiful and Jesus is the perfect model of forgiveness. The crucifixion and Easter story is the perfect reminder of how significant forgiveness is. But we have to be willing to take these stories into our daily life. We carry it through the burdens of the day and the sleeplessness of the night allowing our perfect Example to teach and lead us into the true meaning of forgiveness.
Forgiveness isn’t easy. It isn’t easy even if you’ve practiced it hundreds of times.
Therefore, we need reminders. We need icons. We need our community to remind us of how important forgiveness is. In my family, we strive to talk out our grief and we go with one another through prayer as we intercede for one another and ask God for forgiveness.
How do you seek forgiveness in your life? Who are the friends and family in your community who can intercede for you and help you forgive others? What icons do you have to help remind you of the need and urgency to seek forgiveness?
Gracious God, we look to You and Your finished work on the cross as our ultimate demonstration of forgiveness. Help us as we go through life to stay aware of the need and beauty to seek forgiveness when we have been wronged or have been wrong. Help us to surrender our weaknesses and faults to the forgiving love of Jesus and intentionally desire and embrace practices that lead to forgiving transformation, Amen.
Written by Matt Clay
Matt and his wife Joanna and have two young daughters, Emery and Madisen. The Clay’s have been members of the Sheridan community since 2014. Matt enjoys writing devotions for Sheridan and serving in the One Sent Market.