In the aftermath of the fatal shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, the families and friends of the victims faced many emotions: grief, anger, disbelief, and horror, among many others. People around the nation and the world shared in those emotions, as well. Once the perpetrator of these horrendous acts was apprehended, we saw a person whose personality and beliefs appalled us. Here was a person who was so filled and motivated by hate that he ended nine lives, ranging in age from 26 to 87. The reaction from many in the world demonstrated a desire for vengeance, to see this young man pay severely for the devastation he wreaked in the lives of those who knew and loved those nine individuals whose lives he ended. Conspicuously absent from this call for revenge, though, were the families of the victims themselves. During the arraignment hearing, these family members were able to speak directly to Dylann Roof, and one by one they spoke words of forgiveness to this young man who changed their lives forever. Their emotions were raw; they did not deny the pain they felt. Yet they found the grace from God to offer forgiveness to the most reprehensible person they could conceive of.
Scripture speaks of forgiveness in very straightforward terms. In responding to Peter’s self-righteous question about how many times he should forgive a brother who sinned against him (Peter thought he was super-righteous by saying seven times), Jesus said not seven times, but seventy times seven. In other words, we should continually offer forgiveness to those who sin against us, no matter how awful that sin may be. In order to underscore His point, Jesus then told a parable about a man who was indebted to a king. His debt was so great that there was no way whatsoever he could repay it. The king granted him mercy, though, forgiving his debt completely. The man then went out to a person who owed him a small amount, and demanded repayment. The forgiven man offered no forgiveness, and when the king heard, he had this hard-hearted man thrown in jail until repaid every penny – something he couldn’t have done out of jail, much less in jail. Then Jesus says this: “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Each of us can probably think of a person in our lives who has done us wrong in such a way that the pain is still fresh when we think about the situation or see that person. We may even desire to see that person who offended us get what’s coming to them. As Christians, though, each of us has been in the place of the man whose debt could never be repaid, and we have each received the grace and mercy of the King of kings. How then can we withhold that forgiveness from others, whose sins against us pale in comparison to our sins against God? God does not give us the option, as those He has forgiven, to refuse to offer forgiveness. If you’re holding onto hurt, now is the time to release it by trusting God’s design in forgiveness. Just something to think about…
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