Rabbi’s Reflections – Sunday, September 15, 2024
Shavuah Tov,
“Freedom in Forgiveness”
By Jerry Miller
“Get rid of all bitterness and rage and anger… Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other just as God in Messiah also forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32, TLV)
A few months ago during Passover, I shared some thoughts on forgiveness, and our calling as believers to follow Yeshua’s example of radical forgiveness. Yeshua’s own declaration of forgiveness, from the cross, was a powerful victory that paves the way for us in our own lives. Yeshua was indeed the victim of humanity’s sin and rebellion, but He Himself was not overcome by all that was done to Him. Yeshua’s victory provides a foundation for us as we seek to live in that place of a gracious heart toward others. Let’s revisit this issue of forgiveness, as it is so key to our own freedom as believers.
As we all come to realize, life in this present age is not pain-free. We encounter rejection, mistreatment or some form of injustice, and we can find ourselves offended and struggling to forgive. Even though we know the importance of forgiving, there still can be a battle. The pain we feel when wrongfully treated is real, and our flesh can be so resistant to the idea of forgiving and letting the perceived offender “off the hook.” In such times we must be quick to turn to the Lord and process our thoughts and feelings with Him. His grace is powerful to help us come to the place of letting go of the offense and forgiving. However, if we are unwilling to forgive and refuse to let go of the hurt or anger, it’s as if a spiritual poison is released in us. Focused on our anger, hurt feelings, or our wounded pride, we make allowances in our hearts for unforgiverness to fester.
What can happen is, as we inwardly process the pain of mistreatment, unforgiveness becomes almost like a tool for our anger. We withhold forgiveness as our way of privately “disciplining” the one who hurt us. It’s our silent form of retaliation, but of course, we are the ones who end up most affected by this. We convince ourselves that when the other person apologizes, we will forgive, but until then, it’s our right to remain offended.
Such thinking might make sense to our natural thinking, but it goes against the clear and consistent teaching of God’s Word. Our willingness to forgive those who have wronged us is crucial for the health of our own walk with the Lord. The issue is never the other person and whether he or she has recognized or acknowledged an offense. The issue is me, and whether I want my own heart to be clean from the poison of bitterness.
We all find that it takes much grace to forgive from our hearts, but this is clearly the standard Yeshua gives us. The fact that we feel the pain of mistreatment is the very reason why we need His grace for forgiving others. It does not come naturally to us. Our inward “sense of justice” tells us that the offender deserves our scorn. But we must see that the higher priority is to walk in freedom and victory by God’s grace. Yeshua taught repeatedly that forgiveness is to rule our hearts. He gives no conditions here such as the repentance or apology of the other person. We are to forgive for a very simple reason—mercy is at the heart of God’s own nature, and we are called to be like God, as those being conformed into His image. We are to grow in the gracious nature of God Himself.
Here is an important principle to see. Our inability or unwillingness to forgive suggests that, the fact that we have been wronged has a larger place in our hearts than the fact that we ourselves have been forgiven. In other words, we are more focused on the offense done against us than we are on the salvation accomplished for us. But the good news is, God has provided for our victory and breakthrough in this area. He has brought us into a salvation that is far more powerful than the enemy’s power to hold us in bondage. Contrasting the power of Yeshua’s salvation to the power of sin to keep us in bondage, Sha’ul wrote, “…how much more shall those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Messiah Yeshua” (Romans 5:17b).
If you struggle to forgive, I want to encourage you that the Lord’s grace is both available as well as powerful to overcome unforgiveness. If you struggle to forgive those who have wronged you, ask the Lord for a fresh revelation and impartation of His love and mercy toward you. His love truly does change us. Spend time reading and reflecting on Scripture passages that highlight His mercy and grace. His Word is powerful to change our hearts and transform us on the inside. This is a supernatural process, so don’t try to “make sense” of it. Give yourself to the process of a transformed life through the renewing of your mind (see Romans 12:2). By God’s grace we can rise above the stumbling block of offenses and live in the freedom of the gracious heart of Yeshua Himself. His mercies are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23). As we are becoming like Him, our mercies can be new every morning as well.
May the Lord fill you with a fresh confidence in His grace, for bringing you into a life in which you are free from offense!
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
12 Elul Sunday 15-Sep-24
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Amos 1-2 2 Chronicles 6 John 20 Hebrews 10:1-18