Reflections on "Free to Forgive"

I thought the sermon was solid, but it needed a good illustration.  Most of the illustrations or stories if ran across in preparation for the sermon seemed a little trite or "chicken soupish," which did not fit the power of the two Gospel stories we read.  AFter the service, however, a visitor (a member's grandmother who was in for graduation) reminded me of the Amish church community that forgave the man who killed five young girls at school.  Here is a brief snippet about it:

On the day of the shooting, a grandfather of one of the murdered Amish girls was heard warning some young relatives not to hate the killer, saying, "We must not think evil of this man."^[15] Another Amish father noted, "He had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he's standing before a just God."^[16] Jack Meyer, a member of the Brethren community living near the Amish in Lancaster County, explained: "I don't think there's anybody here that wants to do anything but forgive and not only reach out to those who have suffered a loss in that way but to reach out to the family of the man who committed these acts."^[15]

A Roberts family spokesman said an Amish neighbor comforted the Roberts family hours after the shooting and extended forgiveness to them.^[17] Amish community members visited and comforted Roberts' widow, parents, and parents-in-law. One Amish man held Roberts' sobbing father in his arms, reportedly for as long as an hour, to comfort him.^[18] The Amish have also set up a charitable fund for the family of the shooter.^[19] About 30 members of the Amish community attended Roberts' funeral,^[18] and Marie Roberts, the widow of the killer, was one of the few outsiders invited to the funeral of one of the victims.^[20]

Marie Roberts wrote an open letter to her Amish neighbors thanking them for their forgiveness, grace, and mercy. She wrote, "Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. Gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you."^[20]The Amish do not normally accept charity, but due to the extreme nature of the tragedy, donations were accepted. Richie Lauer, director of the Anabaptist Foundation, said the Amish community, whose religious beliefs prohibit them from having health insurance, will likely use the donations to help pay the medical costs of the hospitalized children.^[21]

Some commentators criticized the quick and complete forgiveness with which the Amish responded, arguing that forgiveness is inappropriate when no remorse has been expressed, and that such an attitude runs the risk of denying the existence of evil,^[22][23][24] while others were supportive.^[25][26] Donald Kraybill and two other scholars of Amish life noted that "letting go of grudges" is a deeply rooted value in Amish culture, which remembers forgiving martyrs including Dirk Willems and Jesus himself. They explained that the Amish willingness to forgo vengeance does not undo the tragedy or pardon the wrong, but rather constitutes a first step toward a future that is more hopeful.^{[27][28] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_school_shooting)}

That illustration would have exemplified both points I made about forgiveness and really fit the sermon well.  It didn't make the sermon, but at least blog readers can reflect on it now.

"Free to Forgive" "Free to Forgive" John 20: 19-23; Matthew 18:23-35; May 18, 2014, FPC, Troy; Easter Series

Intro: The sermon series continues on how the resurrection frees us to be the persons God calls us to be, the person we want to be.

Last week we reflected on how God forgives us. This week we build on that and reflect on how we are free to forgive others.

Lots of sermon topics on forgiveness

a. Holding on does not let us move on with our own lives.

b. Not forgiving hurts us more than it hurts others.

100. We could reflect on the question of can we forgive without forgetting.

This morning the sermon is grounded in the two passages of Scripture we read.

Move 2: First of all, the Gospel of Matthew reminds us that we forgive because God has forgiven us.

a. Last week we heard Jesus offer the word problem – who would be more grateful, the person whose debt of 50 denarii is canceled or the person who has a 500 denarii debt forgiven.

1. Answer is fairly obvious. The one who owes more, is more grateful.
   2. Thus the sinner in the story is overwhelmed that God has forgiven her.

b. this week we hear Jesus telling another story about canceling debt.

1. the master forgives his servant's debt, but then the servant does not forgive the fellow servant who owes him money.

2. When that master discovers how the servant he forgave has withheld forgiveness from another, the master takes back the forgiveness of debt and thrown the servant in jail.

3. The point is made in harsh terms – if you have been forgiven, you must then forgive others.

100. Not a subtle story with lots of nuances – very direct and to the point: God has forgiven us; we must respond by forgiving others.

1. As some of you know, at weddings I often share the Old Jewish about God sitting around before creation looking forward to what is going to unfold.

2. God looks at how humans will act and knows that we will sin and turn against God and one another.

3. so God decides before creating to forgive us.

4. So too, I invited couples making their marriage vows to forgive one another in advance.

5. Why? In part because that's what it takes to have a lasting marriage. But also because if we look to God to see how God lives out loving us, we see God forgiving again and again and again.

WE forgive because God has forgiven us.

Move 3: Our second story from the Gospel of John reminds us that people of the resurrection compels us to forgive.

a. Do you see what's at stake in this story?

1. Christ has been resurrected and the disciples have fled and are hiding behind locked doors.
2. Jesus arrives in their midst somehow coming through the closed doors.
3. He has shown them his hands and his side, presumably so that they can see the scars from his hanging on the cross.
4. This is a powerful moment – I suspect Christ can ask those followers gathered there to do anything and they will agree to do it.
5. What is the first command of the resurrected Christ? Forgive others.
   b. IN that command, we realize what is at stake in forgiveness.
   1. Christ will soon ascend to heaven and his followers will be the body of Christ on earth.
   2. Foundational to being the body of Christ is forgiving others.
   3. We may forgive because it makes us feel better; but we must forgive if we want to be the body of Christ and serve the world as Christ did.
   4. This high expectation Christ has for his followers is only possible in light of the resurrection.

b. Forgiving someone opens up the new possibilities.

1. When God raises Christ from the dead, a world of possibilities are opened up for us.
2. As the Reformed theologian Karl Barth might describe it – in the resurrection, we discover God's answer is “Ye3s” in Christ, instead of the “No” the world gives us.
3. When we forgive, we change the conversation from “NO” to “Yes.”
4. Perhaps you have seen the musical Les Miserables? There is that moment when Jean Valjean steals the candlesticks, and the priest looks at him and forgives him. But there is some­thing in that moment even more significant, I think. The priest looks at the man and believes that he can be better than his past indicates; that he can become new. He sings:

But remember this, my brother.

See in this some higher plan.

You must use this precious silver

To become an honest man.

5. In that moment, the priest had to look really deep to see that possibility in Jean Valjean. But to see the possibility of an honest man in a thief is an aspect of forgiveness. (Rev. Thom Are, Jr. Forgive Us as We Forgive, sermon preached at Village Presbyterian Church, July 14, 2013. Prairie Village, Kansas)

6. When we forgive, we breathe hope and new life into the situation.

7. In other words, we put the situation in the context of resurrection and open the door to new possibilities.

Conclusion: Imagine a world where forgiveness abounds. That’s the world to which the resurrected Christ calls us.