“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Mt 18:35 AV)
Every time I read this, my mind goes back to all those times I was injured. Rather maliciously, ignorantly, or randomly, the question of forgiveness sticks in my mind. Have I forgiven all who have caused injury? In grade school, I was brutally bullied. It is only by God’s grace I survived to adulthood. Many times my life should have ended by my own hand. Of course, serving in the ministry leaves one open to all sorts of abuse. Most of it is understandable. The hardest to endure are those injuries caused by one’s peers. Those who, in the process of serving the LORD, allow their old man to inflict injury on their peers. We’ve all suffered at the hands of authority figures. As one who manages others, I can only imagine how much harm I have caused. Most of which I was unaware. Offense is a part of life. No one suffers more than all others. We all suffer at the cruelty of others. And we all cause suffering for others. So, getting back to our verse, one has to wonder if we have forgiven, and if we are forgiven.
I have seen too much bitterness in my time. Unforgiveness is a horrible prison. Many years ago, I watched a TV series on the Hatfields and McCoys. For those not in the know, these two families began a deadly feud that lasted many years and cost several lives. It is stated the feud began over a stolen pig, but that only serves to make the feud seem more foolish than adversarial. In fact, it spilled over from the Civil war. One family fought primarily for the South while the other for the North. After the war ended, hard feelings remained. It could be said the stolen pig was the fuse, but the barrel was resentment over the Civil war. One of the opening scenes shows a returning soldier being shot by the other family. The pig incident happened a bit later. Resentment was allowed to fester. No doubt, regardless of one’s convictions at the time, there were moral failures on both sides. It was a war that had to be fought. The slaves had to be freed. However, their agents of freedom did not always act with the utmost character themselves. No doubt, there were offenses on both sides of that fence. The thing is, unforgiveness is what started the feud. It wasn’t the Civil war, or the stolen pig. It was the inability of two families to forgive one another. In the process, several died. Depending on which source you reference, the fatalities were anywhere from 12 to 60. The feud lasted twenty-eight years. It took a threat from two governors and the federal government to finally stop this senseless killing.
There is a warning above. The LORD will not forgive His children of their faults if they harbor resentment toward any who may have offended them. This is quite a wide swath. There is no differentiation here. Lost or saved, if we do not forgive those who have offended us, then the LORD may be apt to hold on to our faults as well. That is pretty serious. Perhaps one of the reasons the body of Christ needs revival is we have not learned to forgive. The above verse brings a somber demeanor to my heart. Unforgiveness is a horrible state in which to exist. When I think upon this verse, I have to search my heart to seek any dark alley of unforgiveness that may exist. Have I forgiven? Have I forgiven completely? Do I harbor ill feelings no matter how long ago the injury occurred? Do I still carry resentment? This examination must occur, otherwise, the divine grace of forgiveness cannot come from the Father? Have you forgiven? Are you holding a grudge? Are there memories of others that still bother you? If we will not forgive others, then the LORD will not forgive us.
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