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| Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is. |
| Ernest Hemingway |
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SERMON LIBRARY |
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· Deacon Debbie Wesseloo (2)
· Deacon Phillip Laurings (3)
· Dean William Mosert (1)
· Reverend Angus Paterson (0)
· Reverend Graham Alexander (1)
· Reverend Joe Thompson (2)
· Reverend Lindy Rookyard (4)
· Visiting Clergy (0)
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| Date | 2010-03-07 | | Preacher | Reverend Graham Alexander | | Title | Forgiveness - Lent 3 | | Sermon Details | Readings: Psalm 103: 1-12, Psalm 130, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, Luke 7:36-51
In the Name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.
Today in our series of sermons, we are looking at Forgiveness. As Fr. Joe mentioned two weeks’ ago, this is an aspect of love which is very hard to practise. Too often we want to see justice prevail, a theme we will look at later in this series, or we want to see the perpetrator of a crime suffer as much, if not more than the victim. At present there is so much hatred, bitterness, anger and hurt in our country, and in other parts of the world. Only the power of forgiveness can heal these situations. This was the thrust of an article in The Star of Tuesday on the 23rd February. The author was raising the issue of the four Free State students who apparently had humiliated some workers on the campus, and were being offered places at the university by the new rector, as well as the Shabir Shaik and Eugene de Kok cases – three situations that have raised the hackles of many South Africans. He concludes his article by saying: Forgiveness is not easy. It is difficult to accept an apology and to say “I forgive you”. But we have to try anyway. To build healthy relationships, and to feel good about ourselves we need to learn to forgive” and, I would like to add, learn to accept forgiveness ourselves.
What do we understand by forgiveness? What do we mean when we pray: forgive us our sins (or trespasses) as we forgive those who sin (or trespass) against us? In the Lesson from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we get an example of what it means for a Christian to forgive. Paul had been severely humiliated by a member of that community. As an authority figure, Paul had also insisted that the man be disciplined for his actions which the Corinthians felt had brought the whole group into dishonour. Discipline had been exercised but there were some who felt that it had not been sufficiently severe, and who wanted to take even more stern measures. Paul however felt that enough had been done – the man had been disciplined, and was now penitent. Any further punishment would probably undo the good that was being done, and perhaps drive the man and members of the congregation to do things that may best be described as satanic. Paul’s plea was that nothing be done which would allow the devil to get a hold on the man or any member of the Corinthian church. And that is the lesson we can learn from these verses.
Paul did not take the matter personally. When we are criticized, we need to hear what is being said and see if the words spoken have some truth and perhaps, help in them. Can we become better members of the church by considering what was said? If not, should the hurt even be remembered. There is a story of two monks walking along the road. They came to a river which was flowing quite strongly. The only way across was to wade through the river. An old woman was on the bank, hesitating – she was frightened by the force of the water. Without a word, the older monk picked her up and piggy-backed her across the river, putting her down gently on the other side. The two monks walked on, but the younger was quite upset. How could this old monk, with a reputation for holiness have carried that woman across the river – their rule forbade even touching a woman. He fumed and fretted over this for a while until he could not contain himself any longer and burst out: “How could you do such a thing? You know it is strictly forbidden for any monk to touch a woman?” Unperturbed the older man raised an amused eyebrow and said: “My dear fellow, are you still carrying her? I put her down an hour ago.” How long are we going to carry those burdens or hurts which are of no consequence? On the other hand, many of us like to hang on to the sins of others because it makes us feel less bad about ourselves, but if we forgive we may have to give another person his (or her) life back and be made acceptable in the community again.
Discipline must lead to correction, not be a means of vengeance. To quote one commentator: The Christian duty is not to render the sinner harmless by battering him (or her) into submission, but to make him (or her) a saint by inspiring him (or her) to goodness. Can we still trust a person who has done us wrong? Can we believe that the “wrongdoer” can change and become a good person? Are we willing for our lives to change? An ancient Chinese proverb says : Let him who seeks revenge remember to dig two graves. One of the miracles that took place in our country was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by Bishop Desmond Tutu. People who had been hurt by those in power, were allowed to express their anger at the perpetrators being granted amnesty, but they also discovered that they could forgive the people. In no way did the forgiveness suggest that any one condoned what was done, but in forgiveness, both parties found a new freedom. That terrible burden of what was done was lifted from tired shoulders, and both parties could start to move on with their lives, as the saying goes. An incredible amount of healing took place in those weeks – results of which we are still seeing today. By carrying the hurts done to us, or done by us, we suffer the consequences, physically, mentally and spiritually. Forgiveness is the one medicine that can cure these ailments.
But as mentioned earlier, forgiveness is not easy. Corrie Ten Boom tells of the occasion when she was preaching about forgiveness in a church in Munich. At the end of the service she met a man who had been one of the German guards of the Ravensbrück concentration camp in which she and her sister were interred, and in which her sister died. As he stretched out his hand to greet her, she was loathe to take it. Here was the man who had jeered at her, had tortured her and her sister and was now wanting to shake her hand. Hatred overwhelmed her, body and soul. Then she recalled that Christ had died for him, and she silently asked God to forgive her for not forgiving him. As she then took his outstretched hand, it seemed as if an electric current passed through her arm and amazingly she felt a love for him for whom a few seconds previously she had hated so intensely. She realised that it is not on OUR forgiveness or on OUR goodness that the world’s healing hinges. When God tells us to love our enemies, he gives, along with the command, the love itself. It is only this kind of forgiving love that can heal our lives, our land today.
But we must choose this way. There are two symbolic doors on display – one closed, one open. Through the open door, the light of God’s forgiveness shines. We must allow that forgiveness to fill our lives, we must learn to forgive ourselves of our wrongs – don’t keep carrying that burden; accept the forgiveness that comes from God, made possible through the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus, and so learn to forgive those who we feel have wronged us. Forgiveness is not a feeling, or an emotion, but an action, something done, and something which may have to be done repeatedly. We have heard the phrase: forgive and forget. We need to be very careful about this saying. If we forget, what happened may happen again!. We can forget the grudges, the prejudices, the bitterness, but we should not forget the event itself, simply to prevent a recurrence of it.
Let us in the strength and love that God supplies, move on into his world, carrying that love and forgiveness to those whom we meet, day by day, and so bring healing into this part of God’s broken world, then we can pray with sincerity, the words our Lord taught us: Forgive us our sins (trespasses) as we forgive them that sin (trespass) against us.
I close with a prayer of forgiveness, written on a scrap of paper, and left next to the body of a child who also died in Ravensbrück:
Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us: remember the fruits we have bought, thanks to this suffering – our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this, and when they come to judgement, let all the fruits which we have borne, be their forgiveness.
Amen.
References:
The Star, “Let’s forgive to heal the nation” by Rich Mkhondo, Tuesday 23 February 2010
Forgiveness – Sister Patricia OHP, March 1999
York Courses: The Lord’s Prayer, praying it, meaning it, living it.
Barclay, W. The Letters to the Corinthians (The Daily Study Bible) |
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