The Strand Study Bible

LUKE

LUKE

1674

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Bible… forgiveness in our time has become little more than a therapeutic way of detaching ourselves from those who have harmed us. 2

Many things may irritate, annoy, or upset us about someone else. Those things may require enduring; they do not involve forgiving. Forgiveness deals with the sin of others, not the idiosyncrasies of others. C.S. Lewis in The Business of Heaven notes: Real forgiveness means steadily looking at the sin, the sin that is left over without any excuse, after all allowances have been made, and seeing it in all its horror, dirt, meanness, and malice. 3 Forgiveness is not about burying sin under the naïve assumption that “time heals all wounds.” Untended wounds do not automatically heal. Time heals clean wounds. Soiled wounds fester and infect. Thus, forgiveness does not involve ignoring or denying sin, turning a blind eye to the misdeeds of another, or pretending it didn’t happen. Forgiveness requires a careful look at what has actually happened and then seeking reconciliation. We do not need to forget what has happened as much as we need to face what has happened. When Jesus commanded, “ If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him ,” He is clearly telling us that we must hold people accountable for their behavior (Lev 19:17-18), all the while seeking to forgive them at a moments notice ( Jn 8:5 ). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: Stop ( Take heed to yourselves ) trying to remember in others what God has already forgotten in you 17:4a If “turning from sin” is a part of repentance, then this man failed miserably at repenting. It says that he sinned against the same person seven times in one day. Does that sound like a man turning from his sin? NOTE –This word ( repent ) is the Greek word µε τ ανοω ( metanoo ). Metanoo is taken from two Greek words: µε τ α (meaning “after”) and νοεω (meaning “mind” ). The word literally means “after thought; to change one’s mind; to perceive afterwards; to change what you believe and to agree with God” ( Mt 3:2 ). It does not mean “to turn from sin” ( Jonah 3:5 and II Cor 7:8-9,10 ). Repentance has nothing to do with fixing sin (our old nature will remain with us until the day we die); and everything to do with acknowledging sin (Lk 23:39-43). 17:4b The requirement to forgive seems to the Apostles unfeasible, and they indicate their doubt by saying, “ Increase our faith .” Yet, as Christians, we are commanded to forgive (Mt 6:15 & 18:21-35 and Mk 11:22-26), and yet one of the most difficult decisions a Christian will ever make is to forgive another person who has wronged them. NOTE –Forgiveness, is by definition, a two-way street. It requires someone who wants to be forgiven, and someone who is willing to forgive. Now if someone does not want forgiveness, it matters little if you are willing to forgive. Our Lord modeled this principle for us when He hung on the cross and offered forgiveness for the very people who had put Him there (Lk 23:34). Although Jesus died to forgive everybody, not everybody is going to be forgiven (Mt 7:13-14,21-23). On the other hand, if some- one does want forgiveness, then God commands Christians to have it “stored up” and ready to dispense at a moments notice. Learning to “store up” forgiveness for future use (for others who want it - Mt 18:29) is a three-step process ( Heb 12:15 b ). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: He who refuses forgiveness refuses to be forgiven 17:6 Except for free-willed men and angels (Mt 17:20 & 21:21-22 and II Pet 2:4), the rest of God’s creation is in total obedience to the will of God. Jesus said, “ If ye (every Christian with free will) had faith as a GRAIN of mustard seed, ” ye could move mountains (spiritually speaking). Note the GRAIN Jesus was referring to: G erms obey Him (Exo 9:1-3,8-10, Deut 28:15,21-22,27,35,58-61 and Mt 14:34-36) R eptiles obey Him (Exo 8:2) A nimals obey Him (Num 22:22-33, I Ki 17:1-6 and Jonah 1:17) I nsects obey Him (Exo 8:20-24 & 10:4 & 23:28, Deut 7:20 & 28:38-39,42, Josh 24:12 and Joel 1:4) N ature ( the grain of a mustard seed ) obeys Him (Exo 9:18-26 & 10:21-23, Deut 28:15,24, Mt 8:23-27 and Lk 17:6) Jesus reminded believers that blind obedience to the simple commands of God (vs 5-10) increases one’s faith in God to handle even the most difficult of times (which can include wrongful sufferings, unforeseen tragedies, seemingly incapable forgiveness, and personal depression). The key, of course, is learning to obey, on a daily basis, what we are commanded to do. For example, every believer is commanded to: * read the Bible daily with understanding ( I Cor 2:13 ) * meditate daily on what is read ( Josh 1:8 and Psa 1:1 -3) * pray daily (I Thess 5:17 and Dan 6:10-15) and recognize the voice of God ( II Sam 24:1 ) * serve others daily (I Pet 5:5 and Rom 12:10) Fact: If a Christian has a hard time tithing when things are going good, how is he going to tithe when things start going bad? Until we start doing “that which is our duty to do” (vs 10), our faith will never increase. NOTE – Concerning personal depression, there is no deeper disease of the soul. Depressed people suffer not just in spirit, but also in body. They often become ill and tend to lose the energy they need for everyday life. At the end of the day, depression soaks through flesh and bone, saturates the mind, and finally quenches the human spirit. Fact:

*Nearly 20 million Americans report major depression in a given year *Depression is now the leading cause of disability in the United States

*Depression costs the workplace 55 billion dollars a year in lowered productivity and workplace absenteeism each year *Antidepressants are now the #1 medication given to teens and young adults. In fact, the use of antidepressants has soared nearly 400% since 1988. That’s epidemic!