Forgiveness
By Eric Abney
Don Henley said that he was trying to get to the heart of the matter. He thought it was about forgiveness even if she didn’t love him anymore. We all remember the great classic rock music that we would sing to the top of our lungs on our way to work in the morning. What is interesting about this line in this song is that there is a lot of truth attached to it.
Jesus was at the last supper with twelve guys he had just spent three years with. They were eating and having camaraderie among themselves when Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, and told them to eat it. The bread represented his body that would be broken for them. Then he took the cup and told his disciples that the wine that was in the cup represented his blood and would be a new covenant. His blood would be “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). This word forgiveness is the greek word: Aphesis, which literally translates “to release from bondage or imprisonment, to forgive or pardon of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty.”
Forgiveness does something. It does something more for the one doing the forgiving than it does the one who is being forgiven. When we have unforgiveness kept in our hearts we most often believe that we are holding the unforgiven person captive. In reality we are chained to a prison that we have created for ourselves through unforgiveness. As time passes the walls of this prison get higher, built by our own anger, sadness, and depression, our own hurt.
We cry out for rescue but the very thing that will bring these walls of pain down is the one thing that we will not let go of. That one thing is forgiveness.
There comes a moment that the opportunity arises for us to give the gift of forgiveness and release the person from any debt they owe to us. In that moment ,when we choose to embrace it, the very nature of God the Father flows through us and we become forgivers. In these times emotions run high, warm tears flow down the sides of our cheeks and it feels ever so cleansing. In that moment the impenetrable walls of depression and sadness come tumbling down, chains of anger and revenge become loose and we are . . . FREE!
This freedom is not free it costs something. It costs the debts of those who owe us and we must surrender those debts to the flames of forgiveness and let them burn. The pain is real and it hurts, but the freedom is that much more a reality and true.
The translation of the word forgiveness in Matthew 26:28 is strong and seems to even make the words of Don Henley’s song command something more that just lyrical pleasure. It instructs us to look closer to the “heart of the matter” and see that true life can be had now and this true life can be lived with freedom.
Be Challenged and Live Adventurously,
-Eric
wow Eric…well said brother!
Wow Eric, well said brother
Cathy, thank you so much for reading.
WOW…fanastic blog…way to go Eric
Thanks Doug! You are a great encouragement.
Good word Eric….
Tommy, I had no idea you read this. Thanks so much for commenting.
This hurts to read because this is something I need to do but am having a huge struggle with.
Hey Andy, it is a huge struggle no doubt, but remember that God is faithful and He will lead you to forgiveness. You don’t have to go there alone.