Messages
from the Bible
A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
At the parsonage earlier this week we noticed that the water was very slowly going down from the sink and toilet. Then we saw that water from the second floor shower was coming up through the toilet in the first floor bathroom. The first solution offered by the Deacons was to call in the professionals, and that we did. As soon as the plumber opened up the door to the crawl space under the house, he was hit with a strong odor of gas. So before he could begin his work, the gas company was called in; they identified two leaks and repaired them.
After a couple hours of waiting for the remaining gas to dissipate, the Rotor Rooter man came back, only to discover that his machine could not fit into the small doorway, and he would have to remove the toilet from the first floor bathroom. The problem was, he couldn't get it off because the bolts were rusted so badly. Plans were made for a couple of our men to come in the evening to get the toilet removed, but before doing that it was learned that there's a "T" in the line, and consequently there could be no access to the sewer line.
Then one of our men came with an electric "snake", broke out the brass plug and tried to cut through the blockage in the pipe. When that didn't work, a decision was made to rent a stronger, 75 foot snake with a cutting tool on the end. The next morning there was a break-through, it seemed - whatever was blocking the line broke loose, a new clean-out cap was screwed in, and we tested the system. Then we learned that when the Rotor Rooter service man had tried to remove the toilet he had succeeded in breaking the seal underneath, and shower water was now backing up and overflowing into the area under the house. Not only that, another pipe which carried waste water from the kitchen and laundry areas was found to be also plugged. On Monday we have to go back to the rental store and once again wrestle with the heavy duty snake in order to hopefully clear out the blockage in a second pipe which, until now, we didn't even know existed.
During the prayer meeting last evening it came to me. This is much like our own personal lives. During the course of our everyday lives, the pipes in our souls become clogged with debris, or choked by roots, and we need the power of God to open up the passage-ways again. There are many possibilities as to what these blockages may be, and today we want to talk about one of them.
Also this week, someone came to me with a riddle. That gave me the idea to start off with this one:
2.) "A wise man will make haste to __________, because he knows the true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain." (A - "forgive") (Samuel Johnson) This reminds me of another statement, "Why do we allow someone who's nasty to us to rent so much space in our minds?"
3.) "To err is human, to _________, divine. " (A - "forgive") (Alexander Pope)
The answer to the riddle is "forgiveness", taken from a quote by C.S. Lewis, "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.''
Forgiveness has become the subject of many new research projects. When modern writers take up this subject, they are quick to point out that the healing power of forgiveness provides benefits to the one doing the forgiving, and they clarify what forgiveness is not: it ". . . does not condone unkindness or excuse poor behavior, nor does it deny or minimize the hurt. Nor does it necessarily mean reconciling with the offender." (Luskin) As John F. Kennedy reportedly said, "Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names."
Now let's briefly review the teachings of these religions concerning the matter of forgiveness:
ISLAM - Muslims, too, are enjoined by the Qur'an to "pardon and forbear" - "[For] do you not desire that God should forgive you your sins, seeing that God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace?" Believers also have examples from the life of Mohammed to guide them. There's the story about how the Prophet chose to forgive the killers of his uncle and, after being stoned, the Prophet allegedly rejected the angel Gabriel's offer to "cause the mountains to crumble" on his persecutors. Instead, he asked, "May it please your Lord to forgive my people, for they do not know."
BUDDHISM - In Buddhism, forgiveness is available through meditation. There are three parts: ask forgiveness for having hurt others; ask how we have hurt ourselves; and forgive others who have hurt us. For Buddhists, the problem is human ignorance. "If people cause you suffering, it's not because they're evil but because they themselves are acting out of suffering and pain. As we train ourselves to see and understand that, as we wake up spiritually, forgiveness becomes a natural letting go."
HINDUISM - Hinduism also teaches that ignorance is the culprit, and teaches us to focus on the present moment, to forget the past and the future, and act without ego in the present. "An ancient text says, 'If you really want to shame your enemies, forgive them.' There is a practice for resolving your own resentments and other feelings by writing them down on a piece of paper and burning it," says Acharya Palaniswami, a Hindu monk and editor-in-chief of Hinduism Today.
1.) In Matthew 5:23-24, the instruction seems clear enough. Forgiveness precedes worship and service. When we're bringing our offering to God, and remember that we have offended our brother, we must first go and seek reconciliation by asking forgiveness. God says He does not want us to bring Him gifts (or service) if we're holding something against our brother. This seems to correspond with David's words, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." (Psalm 66:18)
2.) Early in His teaching ministry, Jesus taught us to pray. In that model prayer, Jesus made it very clear that forgiveness of others is tied to our forgiveness by God.
4.) Peter once asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother when he wronged him. Seven times, he suggested? You see in Jesus' day, Jewish rabbis taught that forgiveness should be given up to three times, so Peter evidently felt he was being quite generous by offering to forgive seven times. Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21,22) This is obviously meant to contrast the strategy noted in Genesis 4:24. A descendant of Cain, Lamech, boasted about his ability to avenge himself on his enemies. He said, "If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."
Evidently Peter learned the lesson well - listen to the instruction he gave to the Christians of his day:
"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (I Peter 3:7-9)
6.) Later in His teaching, after the Disciples saw that the fig tree which Jesus cursed had died, Jesus enjoined faith saying, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24) We all love those words, but notice what immediately follows, "When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:25,26 - KJV)
7.) The most powerful teaching of Jesus on the subject of forgiveness was not what He said, but what He did. The hurts we receive at the hands of others are very small when compared with what Jesus suffered on the cross. And yet even as he was being mocked by the people who were about to kill him, he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
Everett Worthington tells the story of a woman by the name of Aba Gayle who was able to forgive the killer of her child. At first, she wanted to see him die. However, after years of anger, she sat down and wrote this letter to Douglas Mickey, her daughter's killer, who sat on death row.
Validation is bringing it to the Lord in prayer, and then perhaps talking to a sympathetic listener. (I Peter 5:7 and Galatians 6:2)
Compassion means striving to see the offender as a fellow human being with faults, failures, pressures and hurts, and do as Jesus said, "Love your enemies." (Matthew 5:44) When he said this, Jesus may have been thinking about the Proverb "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21,22)
Humility means reflecting on your own faults and failings, refusing to think of yourself more highly than you ought. (Romans 12:3)
Self-forgiveness means openly accepting God's forgiveness, and then opening your heart and accepting yourself as a true child of God. (Romans 8:16) (Many times, people who are too critical of themselves also have trouble forgiving other people.)
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"It's a lovely idea until you have to do it. What is it?"
The answer may be discovered by filling in the blanks of these three sayings:
1.) "_______________ does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." (A - "Forgiveness") (Paul Boese)
As you may have noticed, the subject and practice of forgiveness has recently received a lot of attention. We now know that forgiveness has a definite impact on one's physical, as well as emotional well being. Medical researchers have compared how people's physiology reacts during unforgiving and forgiving conditions: their blood-pressure increases, their heart-rate increases, and their muscle-tension increases during the unforgiving conditions. Their sweat levels are also higher. This suggests that their stress responses are greater during unforgiving, than forgiving conditions. In other words, forgiveness serves as a great stress reducer, even cutting down the chance of heart attacks.
Listen to the story of Dana, who after years of hard work at her company, was passed over for a promotion. Her bosses had legitimate reasons for their decision, which they made clear had nothing to do with the quality of Dana's work or her value to the company. However, Dana could not let the matter go. She began to question the wisdom of her spending years with the company and complained bitterly to anyone who would listen, so much so that her job performance suffered and her co-workers began to avoid her. Dana may have had a good reason to be disappointed and angry, but by developing and nurturing her grievance, she prolonged her own pain, undermined her effectiveness, and became a tiresome whiner.
Fred Luskin in his new book, "Forgive For Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness", makes the case that this kind of grudge certainly can threaten one's health. When one bears a grievance over a long period of time, constantly reliving it by fretting internally and complaining to others, one's anger is churned up and re-experienced. Research has proven that anger and hostility trigger the release of stress chemicals, which can cause immediate physical discomfort and long-term damage to the heart and blood vessels. His conclusion is, "People who are taught to forgive become less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious, less stressed, more confident, and they learn to like themselves more."
A hospice chaplain (Patricia Wilgis-Patton) has pointed out that contrary to the popular saying, "Forgive and Forget," these two don't have to go hand-in-hand. Just because you can't forget doesn't mean you can't forgive. "I don't believe you forget, but I believe that when you forgive someone, as that experience comes up to mind again, it does not have the power to hurt you,'' she said. "It does not have the power to cause the bad feelings it did before."
But the interest in "forgiveness" is not only a modern phenomenon. All of the ancient, major religions champion forgiveness. While we certainly do not hold to the view that "all religions are created equal," it seems that there is common ground with regard to forgiveness. (This makes us think of Paul's words in Romans 2:14,15 - "When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.")
JUDAISM - "Jewish tradition, as far back as late antiquity and especially in the medieval period, teaches that God is merciful and forgiving and that the apex of human existence is to emulate God." (Dr. Shaul Magid, chair of the Department of Philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City.) The act of forgiveness between two people has to occur between the offender and the one with the grievance. The offender asks for forgiveness up to three times and then lets the offense go.
Then I trust we all know what CHRISTIANITY teaches concerning forgiveness. Let's review the teachings of Jesus concerning this very important subject.
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Then, so as to give this point even more emphasis, Jesus said, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:12-15)
3.) In Luke's version of the collection of teachings we call "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38) But we often quote this verse without even noticing what Jesus said immediately before, "Forgive and you will be forgiven." Certainly the promise about giving and receiving must be applied to forgiveness - give forgiveness and you shall receive forgiveness.
After answering Peter's question, Jesus went on to tell a story about an unforgiving servant. The climax of the story is when the king rebuked his servant with the words, "You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" (Matthew 18:32,33) Then the servant is subjected to punishment and Jesus ends with "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." (v.35)
5.) In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus likewise taught, "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." Notice the prayer the Disciples uttered in response, "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5), as if to admit that this would be impossible apart from Divine Grace. Perhaps that's why we say, "To err is human, to forgive is divine."
"You have done irreparable damage to my family and my dreams for the future. After eight long years of grief and anger, I started my journey of life. I was surprised to find that I could forgive you. This does not mean that I think you are innocent or that you are blameless for what happened."
That turned out to be the first of many letters she would write to him over the years. Eventually, she went to see him. She believes it has helped her get on with her life. Now she says to her readers,
"Would you rather live in anger and rage and give your power away to someone else or would you like to live in peace and in a state of grace and take your power back? The anger and rage is tearing your body apart, and your soul, and it's not doing a thing to hurt the person that it's directed at. It only hurts you."
In closing, I'd like to adapt the five forgiveness steps offered by Mariah Burton Nelson in "The Unburdened Heart - 5 Keys to Forgiveness & Freedom.'' They are: awareness, validation, compassion, humility and self-forgiveness.
Awareness is another way of saying that you admit to your anger, remember, and are very clear who hurt you and how. (Psalm 35:11-14)
So then, let's go back to my story about the clogged sewer lines. "Stuff" happens to us every day and can get bunched up and cause this blockage. The reason is, we hold on to these digs and hurts so that unforgiveness clogs our pipelines both toward God as well as toward the important people in our lives. And it's probably not something we can pay the professionals to do for us - with the strength God gives through prayer, we can rid ourselves of these grudges and be free to enjoy the fullness of life Jesus promises.
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