Jesus Forgave Extravagantly

What Did Jesus Do?

“Lord, how often will my brother sin...and I forgive him?
As many as seven times”Jesus said to him,
“I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18.21-22

Jesus did not die for the righteous, but for sinners. Not one person has ever deserved God's forgiveness (See WDJD for 10/16/10). The realization of this, the “amazing grace” of God, is powerfully transformative. Among other things, it should make us exceedingly forgiving. When we consider how much God has forgiven us, it should encourage us to use a generous measure when we forgive others. Think about this:

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.”
Luke 12.48

The Father has forgiven us beyond all reckoning, and the chief sign that we have fully grasped this truth is how we handle the matter of our forgiving those who we deem “undeserving.” If we, having been forgiven, still carry around the weight of unforgiveness towards our “debtors,” we weigh down our lives, we undermine our witness, we, if you will allow, scandalize Christ. How can we go around saying we are faithful followers of the One who forgave the undeserving while we go around forever indicting, convicting, and endlessly seeking to punish, those who have sinned against us? I'm not saying let murderers go free, or allow bank robbers to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. But, I believe, there are few of us who could not go out this day, and go up to a brother or sister who has hurt us and simply say to them, no matter how sure we are that they don't deserve it, “I forgive you.” I daresay, there are many of us who should make plans today to do this very thing.

God is an extravagant forgiver. One way we liken after the image of our Creator is to be extravagant in our forgiving. So it was, that when Peter, imagining himself to be pretty generous in the matter of forgiving those who had offended him, asked the Lord if seven times would be enough forgiveness to give to a brother or sister who was a “repeat offender,” Jesus's answer revealed how miserly such an attitude was. Then the Lord went on to tell a Kingdom Tale about a ruler whose extravagant forgiveness was not mirrored by an unforgiving servant (Matthew 18.23-35).

Is it hard to do? Certainly. You don't think it was easy for Jesus, do you? He had to endure the cross so that the undeserving should be forgiven. Whatever it might take for us to forgive, could it ever approach the price paid by the Lord? And, the thing is, the forgiveness we are talking about does not come from a decision in the mind to forgive, but from an irresistible desire in the heart. The Father's forgiveness was the very outpouring of his heart in the person of his Son. The Son's forgiveness is equally an expression of the heart, of the great love he has for us. And so Jesus warned his followers that they would experience the wrath of his Father if they did not forgive one another “from the heart.” (Matthew 18.35)

The thing is, the Father knows our hearts are not capable of sustaining any such extravagant forgiveness, so he gives us a new heart. By the agency of the Holy Spirit we can say that the heart of Jesus beats within our breast, and that heart forgives and forgives, even “seventy times seven,” and more. We don't need to think about whether or not we should forgive someone, and try and decide if they “deserve” it. Rather, we should examine our heart, and, if we find unforgiveness, there, we need to pray, as the Psalmist, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51.10) We'll be amazed at the rivers of forgiveness that flow from such a clean and new heart!

Now, the Body of Christ, that is the Church, also has a heart. I would imagine that no few congregations would quickly experience a fresh and powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit if some extravagant forgiveness took place among their members. The name of Jesus will one day be exalted above all names, and most deservedly so, because he forgave the undeserving. Maybe his Church might start looking more like his spotless bride if it too started practicing the extravagant forgiveness of the undeserving. That's what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4