Following Jesus with Our Whole Selves - Forgiveness: Not Easy, But Not Impossible [Ryan Ashley]

Luke 7:36-50, Matthew 6:14-15

“Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.”

C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity

Luke 7:36-5036 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[c] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Matthew 6:14-15

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

1. Forgiveness is Not Forgetting

“In Scripture we learn that “remember” means to bring into active memory so that attitude and action are impacted. Like God, we do not “not remember” the sin, so it does not influence future relationship. Like God, we do not erase the fact of the sin from knowledge. In case of God, that would contradict His omniscience.”

2. Forgiveness is Not a Feeling    

3. Forgiveness is not saying that something is not a sin

4. Forgiveness is not having to allow someone who is toxic back into your life!

5. Forgiveness is rarely a one-time event!

The personal act to release the one who sinned against me from my personal right to collect on the moral debt (to pay them back) for their offense, giving it over to God for His justice and mercy.

1. We return to God the right to take care of Justice.

2. Forgiveness means that we will determine and want to do good not evil!

3. See forgiveness as an unmerited gift

4. Forgiveness means that we will absorb pain into our lives…