Forgive Like You Have the Authority
As a Christian, I grew up hearing all about Christ’s forgiveness. It is this love of Christ that opens the vault of eternal life. There is something we missed, though. Some people want to be part of the Church who were cast out. Things are different now. It is time to call home those fading embers and forgive.
This is nothing new. Pastors, preachers, and evangelists have been seeking anyone willing to hear the Gospel so they may be brought to God through Christ. It is incumbent upon us to share the love of Christ and the mercy of God so everyone knows they are forgiven.
This message is a bit different, but it is exactly the same. This post is meant to shine a light on our ability, as mankind, to forgive – unilaterally. Of course, it seems bizarre that man can forgive, but that is what I am suggesting. It all begins in Genesis, where man is to rule over all creatures. Importantly, however, he is also to name them. Being the ruler means more than directing or commanding. It is also judgment and mercy. Let’s explore what that means.
I Wonder…
Can you forgive someone for an offense against someone else? What if that person already forgave them; would you still hold a grudge? What if your own salvation rested on whether you could forgive someone for something you don’t know anything about?
This is a strange world, and forgiveness is central. Go to any church, and you will hear all about forgiveness and love. That is, until someone does not fit the mold. Well, it turns out things are much more complicated than imaginable.
The Key
It turns out forgiveness is the key to it all. Deep in the well of Jacob’s truth lurks the hidden gem of righteousness. It turns out that righteousness is the same as forgiveness. Jesus turns things end on end when he said to forgive as though you had the authority when teaching about the unrighteous steward. What Jesus didn’t tell you, and he had a knack for telling you just enough so you could figure out the rest, was forgiveness was also righteous. That means mercy is the right thing to do.
Dutiful in Unrighteousness
The key to understanding the parable of the unrighteous steward is not so much what to do or what to say; at least, that is how I understand it. It is recognizing anyone who is willing to stick his own neck on the line and forgive someone else can do just that. It is okay. There are a few features of the unrighteous steward, such as the volume of debt reduction and the order, but the primary point is to forgive extravagantly.
Further to this point, however, the righteous person can do something unrighteous if that thing is forgiveness. Notice this – even if you are stricken by the law, you can break from that law and forgive someone else. You are not bound to the law when you forgive. The point is you don’t have to know all of the rules and how they work when you decide to forgive.
Extravagant Forgiveness
I remember when I first realized this idea of forgiving a debt that was not mine to forgive, but I had the ability to do it. I’m not sure why God placed that on my mind, but candidly it did make me freak out a bit. Why would I have that authority, and why not someone else who is much better than me? After pondering this for a while and stringing together the ends of the message of the Bible, it had me reflecting on the world differently. Matthew 18:33-35 made me think about forgiving someone else who owed me little. I initially thought this was part of the unrighteous steward. I later realized that was the protection for the unrighteous steward. If the other person is forgiven but cannot forgive, then circular debt keeps everyone locked up.
God’s plan is masterful, to say the least. It is self-imprisonment until we can find a way to accept everyone.
Forgive In Place of God
One of the biggest hurdles I had to cross was the idea that we must forgive in place of God. How is this possible? Doesn’t God judge everyone? Well, it turns out God pre-judged in John 12:50. That verdict is eternal life. So, it is easy to forgive when you know God’s judgment ahead of time. Another consideration is things like Jeremiah 28:9, where he records the message that peace is the eventual outcome – no matter who says it.
This is all complicated by the confusing language of the Bible, but forgiveness and judgment are left to the created. The primary reason why is that God will not fail in his faith. That faith is in his creation and the ability of the created to pull off the unthinkable. That is to realize the truth of the world and wake up to reconciliation. God does not have to intervene, although God can and does. He, however, follows the rules. If not, he would be self-righteous instead of righteous.
So, what must we do? Unlock the sons of Korah, Jesus’ disciples, and the fallen angels, as well as those who have been cut down by Christ and shudder at his name. They shudder because of fear. They do not want to be cast out again. These are the demons from Legion mercifully cast into pigs before baptizing them in the water.
Forgive
Here is the deal, we run around as though we have the authority to determine who will go to hell. What we don’t recognize is people are in hell already. The only authority we have is to release people from hell. Jesus gave the keys to Peter, the rock upon which the church is built. In nearly the same breath, Jesus called him Satan and gave him the keys to loose and bind. He did not have the authority to cast someone into hell. He had the authority to forgive when the accuser was done accusing him. Unforgiveness binds, while forgiveness unbinds. [Notably, this is different from imprisoning someone who reveals himself according to the rules of the blood avenger]
Considering Peter’s plight, imagine his horror at waking up three days later to the rooster crowing to realize what he had done. The Bible tells us about this, but not everything is history in the Bible. I wonder if much of anything is history in the Bible as the stories seem to repeat in different ways. It is just too perfect and current for it to also be history. Also, Consider that Jesus was buried for 3 days and 3 nights. Then 2 Peter 3:8 implores us not to overlook the fact that a day is like a thousand years for the Lord. Either the Bible is inerrant, or Jesus is still in the wilderness. If Jesus must suffer the same fate as others, then Jesus must also be in the wilderness. He is, after all, the Omega.
That wilderness was foretold as the sign of Jonah and being in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights.
Healing
Healing comes when we are strong enough to overcome our pride and find Christ. He is Emanuel, not a dead son of God. The faithful servant of God would not leave his disciples as orphans or widows. He remained with them in the form of the helper or Holy Spirit. Jesus saves each of us through grace and mercy. This mercy is healing.
God said he has mercy on whomever he would like. That mercy is the authority and duty of the unrighteous steward. The best part of that teaching is the ordination of anyone who has the calling on his heart to have mercy. God is not stingy with love. You can also be that love as you find ways to spread the true Gospel of life, love, and the healing touch of God’s hand. We are, after all, the Body of Christ. So is the person you are talking to, whether you or they like it or not.
