DAY 112

FORGIVENESS – AGAIN

2 Samuel 14 & 15 and Luke 17:1 - 19

The Old Testament today is rather bizarre. David is longing for his son Absalom, who fled after killing another of David’s sons. We read another story where someone comes and “tells a story” to David, only to have it revealed as his, David’s, story. (There are more than a few overtones of Nathan’s interaction with the king.) David forgives Absalom and welcomes Absalom home.

Absalom then turns on his father. It is not clear to me whether the waiting that Absalom had to endure caused this, or something else. Yet if we were to analyze this book using family dynamics, all I could say is “wow”! To think that King David actually has to flee for his life is amazing. This struggle will continue tomorrow. I wonder if David will forgive his son again. (If he survives)

In the New Testament Jesus challenges us with this subject of forgiveness. He says if someone sins against you seven times, and repents, then forgive them. It is no use talking as if forgiveness were easy. We all know the old joke, “You’ve given up smoking once, and I’ve given it up a dozen times.” In the same way you most likely can say of some people in your life, “I’ve forgiven them more times than I can count.” The work of forgiveness has to be done over and over again. And this work, it is the work of mortification, we mortify our resentment, or at least we think we have. Then we find our minds drifting back to the original offence and we discover the old issue ablaze. How many times a day does Jesus tell us we should forgive – seven times seventy – and there are days I find it not enough. This issue of forgiveness is a serious one.

For me I have to go back to Jesus and the Cross. How many times today, just today, has Jesus forgiven me? If I can somehow not trivialize His forgiveness of me, then I stand a chance at possibly forgiving others. For when I find myself withholding forgiveness, in those moments, if I can pause and get a glimpse of myself, I seem to appear a rather demanding little person who has somehow conveniently forgotten all the absolution God has lavished on me.