FORGIVENESS, LOVE, PEACE
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Luke 7:36-50 (NRSV)
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him--that she is a sinner." Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "speak." "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
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Jesus said, "I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much."
- Luke 7:47 (NIV)
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YEARS ago, I went through a period of bitterness because of what someone had done to me. My inability to forgive did not hurt the other person; but it certainly hurt me, as I told everyone about the pain I had been suffering. After some time, I realized what I was doing and started to forgive. In a short while, my bitterness went away. At one point, I even wrote to the person to express my forgiveness. Though I never received an answer, forgiving gave me a sense of freedom.
The Lord's Prayer says that we are forgiven "as we forgive" others (Matt. 6:12, KJV). Forgiveness is the antidote to bitterness in the soul. If we want to be free of bitterness and stop new bitterness from creeping into our lives, we forgive.
Prayer: Dear God, teach us to forgive those who hurt us. Fill our lives with your love as we pray, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."*
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Forgiveness frees us from the hold of bitterness.
-- John Harrold (Blaenau Gwent, Wales)
PRAYER FOCUS: Someone bitter over an old wrong
*Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV).