The old saying goes something like this:
We are most like men when we sin;
We are most like God when we forgive.
(Forgive me if that is not an exact quote. It still sounds close. 🙂 )
Yesterday I was waiting to leave the house for an evening appointment at the office and had just finished supper. Jo had the TV on and the show centered around a Jewish man who sold out his people, as many of them found their way to Auschwitz. I simply cannot fathom the horror of that time in history. Then I read today of a letter written by a woman at Ravensbruck concentration camp where over 50,000 woman lost their lives. The letter was a prayer…are you ready for this?… of forgiveness.
The evils of those camps, of Hitler and his henchmen, boggle my mind. What blows me away even more are those who deny it ever happened (and it isn’t just Muslims). It is beyond my scope of understanding. But so is the offer of forgiveness. When something is done that hurts on that grand of a scale it sure takes a lot to forgive. I can honestly say I have never had anything done to me that comes even close, and yet, forgiveness is still hard. But the failure to forgive is even harsher. It makes me someone’s slave. It may not be Auschwitz, but it still puts me in prison.
Freedom comes from being like Jesus. Remember the last part of that quote? Of all who had the reason NOT TO forgive, He displayed the greatest. “Father, forgive them” were His words. May He be my example. May I be like Him.
“Father, my prayer is simple. Help me to forgive. Help me to be like Jesus.”
Forgiveness, to say the words, I forgive you, almost seems fairly simple. Within those words, is a bitter root, it easy to express the words aloud, but if you are still harboring the root, it will choke out the grace. Thank-you Jesus, it is only through your love and mercy, that the root of bitterness is choked out. Ephesians 4:31-32
You are right Gail and that is why Ephesians warns us against that bitter root. thanks for the comment. always appreciate you coming by.
The Jews learned something very important from the Holocaust that many people either don’t learn, or don’t know… forgiveness is divine. While I still don’t understand their leaning towards the doctrine that Jesus has not already come, there are many things that we can learn from them.
It is one of those ingrained teachings i guess Ed that they don’t want to question or challenge. But, yes, we can learn from them.
Such a powerful reminder of why we should be quick to forgive others, Bill. If we don’t, sure enough we are their prisoners.
Blessings!
You got the point Martha. forgive or be in trouble.