“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,                                                             as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

 A number of years ago, a young man who worked for me came into my office and sat down. I could see that he was not having a good day, and I became his listening ear. He started to tell me about the house he and his wife were building. Apparently there was some property variance issue needing to be resolved. It would affect the adjoining property which they had sold to another couple who had been good friends. In order to resolve the concern, entrance to the property belonging to my colleague would need a right of access through that of the unyielding neighbors. My young coworker was so distraught about the situation that he was having a difficult time focusing on his job duties. Having a few years of experience beyond that of my colleague, I offered some advice for life.  Thoughtfully, I paused, and reassured him that one way or another, this situation would ultimately be resolved. “But,” I reflected, “what are you going to do down the line?”  With a somewhat puzzled look on his face, he asked, “What do you mean?” “You know, down the line,” I said, “when this is all concluded.” “What do you plan to do when the someday comes when this neighbor needs you?”  He just looked at me with a blank look of uncertainty.  Before he had a chance to answer, I told him . . . “When that day comes, my friend, you need to be the bigger person.”  I hope that in some small way, I gave my associate a lesson on forgiveness.

When they first met, Edwin Stanton described Abraham Lincoln as a ‘long lank creature from Illinois, wearing a dirty linen duster for a coat, on the back of which the perspiration had splotched wide stains that resembled a map of the continent.” The relationship between Stanton and Lincoln got off to a bad start in 1855 when Mr. Lincoln was hired by Stanton, a high-powered Washington, D.C. lawyer, for a case set to be tried in Illinois. Lincoln accepted and worked tirelessly conducting research for the legal team, but he felt that Stanton had been very rude and discourteous toward him. Five short years later, in 1860, that same man who Stanton once referred to as “giraffe-like” was now the President of the United States. In 1862, Lincoln needed to appoint a new Secretary of War. The President’s choice of Stanton would reveal his ability to transcend personal humiliation and bitterness, allowing forgiveness to occur. Lincoln’s trust of Stanton began to change the relationship, and Stanton responded with unfailing loyalty. Disparaging words of Lincoln not only disappeared from his lips, but neither he nor any of his family members would tolerate a scornful remark of their beloved president. It was Stanton who sat by Lincoln’s bed throughout the night after the president was shot at Ford’s Theater. As Lincoln passed on from this life, Stanton declared – “Now he belongs to the ages.” Because Abraham Lincoln was willing to forgive and trust, he gained a friend . . . a very dear friend.

Peter once asked Jesus how often one should forgive someone who sins against him, anticipating that seven times might be the expectation. “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Matthew 18:22).  Then he proceeded to tell the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-34) about a king who wanted to settle the debts of his servants. One owed a substantial amount and begged the king for patience in repayment. Eventually his master took pity on him and forgave the debt. This same man then sought revenge on another who owed him, seemingly failing to show the same compassion.  This was reported to the king who called him in, stating “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?” The man was then jailed until the entire debt was repaid. Jesus concludes, “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). The take-away from this parable: if you don’t practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays most dearly. Someone once asked, “So where in scripture does it say – ‘To err is human; to forgive divine?’” Well the truth of the matter is, the Bible doesn’t exactly say that, at least not in those words. But throughout scripture there is a prevailing theme that exists. When someone becomes involved in doing wrong, they are acting like a flawed human. But when we forgive them, then we are acting like God who is always willing to forgive us. In order to demonstrate that kind of witness, we must swallow our pride and learn to forgive.  Then, and only then, will we become the bigger person.

REFLECTION: How does God’s mercy and grace empower us to pursue His help in seeking forgiveness toward others we might otherwise have a difficult time forgiving? In the Bible, the Greek word translated “forgiveness” literally means “to let go.” What are some things you need to consider letting go?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., FEBRUARY 23, 2019. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.