The Freedom of Forgiveness
If you know much about American history, you have probably heard of Benedict Arnold. His name is synonymous with betrayal and treason. But Arnold was first an American hero, and a key player in the colonists fight for freedom in the American revolution. That is, until he sold out to the British near the end of the Revolutionary War. He planned to surrender West Point and was responsible for burning New London, Connecticut, to the ground.
In fact, on September 6, 1781--which would be exactly 243 years ago today--he led a British force of 1,700 men to raid the towns of Groton and New London, and left both in ashes, killing or wounding nearly 150 Americans in the process.
The city of New London has never forgotten-- or forgiven. And now, every year around September 6, they revive the memory and do some burning of their own. Dressed in period costume, townspeople hit the streets and burn Arnold in effigy. At this point, it's more of a fun event for the community, and a pretty good way to teach history, especially as a warning of the seriousness of treason. But maybe after all these years it's time to give this one a rest.
It's amazing how much we like to hold our grudges and nurse and rehearse our grievances. We do it on minor sins, and on major ones, those committed against us intentionally or unintentionally. Relationships have been severed over careless words or actions, and thoughts of "getting even" are never far away. There may not be a burning in effigy, but that doesn't mean there's not a slow burn of anger and bitterness.
But for the Christian, there are few things more important than forgiveness--coming and going. We have received forgiveness for our own sins, through Christ's atoning sacrifice, and thus we are called to forgive others who have sinned against us. That forgiveness is even part of the model prayer Jesus gave us in Matthew 6.
And in the words following the prayer--almost as a footnote to clarify its meaning--Jesus didn't mince words when He said, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matt. 6:14-15) You can try to over-interpret that if you like, but it's hard to miss the point Jesus was making: when we refuse to offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us, we are also refusing the forgiveness we need from the Father.
C.S. Lewis once said, "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive." Forgiveness is rarely easy, just necessary. As someone has said, forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves, and we often discover that when we release the offender from the debt he or she owes us, the person we end up really releasing is ourselves. Conversely, when we choose not to forgive, we lock ourselves into an emotional prison of bitterness.
All that to say, maybe it's time for you to give it a rest, too. Let me encourage you, as recipients of God's grace, to extend that same grace to others this week, so that we can experience the fullness of the Father's forgiveness for us. You'll never understand the freedom of forgiveness until you make the choice to forgive.
I am praying for you, as I hope you are for me, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
