The Power Of Forgiveness

Reflect on God’s Word

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 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. 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.

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.”

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

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 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?”

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

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

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. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:36–47)

Picture that story. A humble woman, knowing she was a sinner, coming in uninvited to a dinner. She approaches Jesus and shows him respect and love. For that, her sins were forgiven. Imagine the shame she felt. Imagine the stares. How do you think she felt?

Imagine being her and feeling the acceptance and love of Christ. No condemnation. Imagine offering that same freedom to those who have hurt you. What a transformation that could make in your heart! Instead of holding on to anger, feeling the heavy weight of it every time you move, you can be at peace.

You might have heard it said that not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. Or sitting in a locked cell with the key to freedom in your own hands. But sometimes in our anger, we want to sit in that cell. The comic strip Rose Is Rose often shows Rose, the main character, sitting at the bottom of a deep well, arms crossed, face glowering, as she holds on to resentment from a wound she received from her husband. Even as her husband calls her from above, telling her he’s sorry and that he loves her, she stays in her deep well.

Does your anger and resentment keep you shackled? Holding on to hurts and not forgiving can take an enormous physical toll.

An article titled “Forgiveness: Your Health Depends on It” from Johns Hopkins Medicine states, “‘There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed,’ says Karen Swartz, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health.”^*

Maybe you have a hard time forgiving yourself. An article titled “Forgiving Yourself” on AllAboutGOD.com says, “Proverbs 16:25 says, ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.’ The energy it takes to harbor anger, hatred, and resentment towards yourself is exhaustive. Every bit of energy we give to negative activities and dwelling on regrets, robs us of the energy we need to become the person God wants us to be.”^*

You are only healed from your guilt by the wounds of Jesus (1 Peter 2:24). Allow knowing how much he paid for you to build up love inside you like an unending treasure. This love can make it possible for you to handle the cost of forgiving others. It has the power to make you a part of God’s healing process and plan to reconcile all things to him (2 Corinthians 5:18–21).

Find a moment today to offer forgiveness to someone who crosses you. It may be undeserved, but pardon them. Offer them grace—the same grace God offers you through Christ.

Release Your Anger

Stop for a moment to release the tension that might have started building in your body. Take a deep breath and hold it for just a moment before releasing it. Extending forgiveness is not easy or natural, but it’s necessary.

Start by forgiving yourself for any guilt you feel. Jesus has forgiven you. Allow him to bring healing and fill you with his love. Bring your wounds caused by others to him. Jesus has forgiven them, too. Ask for his Spirit to help you do the same.

Take a few more deep, cleansing breaths. Forgiving breaths. See Jesus on the cross, bearing your sins, extending forgiveness, even to those who hung him there (Luke 23:34). Open your hands to symbolize your willingness to let go of your hurts and allow God to heal your wounds.

Now picture a heavy chain with many links shackling you to the bottom of a deep well. As you think about each hurt you’re holding on to, picture a link in that chain. Now touch one link. Think about the hurt that link represents. As you touch it in your mind, extend forgiveness to the person who hurt you. See the link break as you do it. Do that for each link: touch it, forgive, and see it break. Continue until all the links are broken and your chain falls off.

It’s important to remember that forgiveness of someone who deeply hurt you does not necessarily mean that there will be restoration of the relationship. If you suffered abuse, you need to be safe. But extending forgiveness is vital for your soul to live free.

Each time you feel anger building in you, stop and look at your heart. Are you holding on to a hurt or something from your past? Picture that chain. Break the link with forgiveness and feel the peace that comes with forgiveness.

By forgiving others—and yourself—you free yourself to be all God wants you to be. The roots of your anger can be pulled up, never to grow strong again.

Dear God, as I look for the courage to forgive others, I need look no further than the courage of your Son, who died so I might be forgiven. Thank you for your forgiveness of my sins. Help me remember to extend the same forgiveness to others. Help me remove the chains that bind me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JOURNAL PROMPT: Journal your thoughts on being forgiven for your most secret sin. How can you offer that same freedom to someone who has hurt you?