Rev.
Elizabeth Anderson
John 20: 19-31
“The Force of Forgiveness”
Guest Preaching- Dranesville UMC
Most of us when we hear today’s Gospel lesson think
immediately of the story we hear.
We
become refugees hiding with the disciples locked away in a room.
We are amazed with them by the peace Jesus
brings. We either understand or judge
Thomas and his desire to touch and see Christ risen, to soak into the wounds he
suffered for us. And yet, I cannot help
but linger on verse 23 “If you
forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any,
they are retained.”
Here – after Jesus has died on the cross for our
sins.
Here after Jesus has said, “Father forgive them, for
they know not what they are doing.”[i]
After Christ has forgiven us “while we were yet
sinners” -- we hear this.
Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send
you”
He breathes on the them the Holy Spirit—which fills
them with power, ability, and authority
to live out this commission.
And then Jesus charges them with the work of
reconciliation: “If you forgive the sins of any- they are forgiven them; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
A few months ago, a dear friend and parishioner lay
dying. His wife asked us all to pray the
Lord’s Prayer and just keep praying it.
She had no other words. She knew no other prayer in these moments. She
just knew that is what she needed to pray and needed others to pray.
We need no other words really- than these words
Jesus gave us all-- when the disciples asked him how do we pray?
We did exactly as this wife of a dying husband
asked.
We prayed it morning, noon, and night.
I ran into another person and we were discussing
these friends, she also was praying.
“It
is so hard,” she said.
I
raised my eyes.
“You
know- to pray it.
To
really pray it and mean it and say those words.
TO
say, “forgive us AS we forgive others.
I
have to really forgive—really forgive.”
She’s right- no matter if you say sins, or
trespasses or debt—that “AS” is always
there.
““And
forgive us our trespasses, AS we forgive those who trespass against us.
Forgive us- AS
we forgive others—it is there.
In fact Jesus gets fairly explicit in Matthew’s
Gospel saying “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses.”[ii]
We are nearly
forced- to forgive…
Jesus died on the cross for our sins—we are
forgiven.
It’s all
done, right?
But
Jesus said, “As
the Father as sent me, so
I send you.”
And
Jesus said, ‘You must also take up your cross
and follow me.”
And
Jesus said, “If you forgive- they are forgiven- if
you retain- it will be retained.”
Jesus doesn’t ONLY come and pay the price for our sins, he
invites us into participation in his life, death, and resurrection.
He sends us, He
commissions and commands us to also Carry the Cross- to make disciples, and to
go and forgive as we have been forgiven.
Forgiveness
comes from Christ, but it does not end
with Christ.
Once, Jesus healed a man and told him, “Your sins
are forgiven.” Some of the scribes saw
this and were grumbling, questioning in their hearts- and Jesus knew this. They thought, “Why does this fellow speak in
this way! It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” [iii]
Jesus wanted them to see this forgiveness and know
that he- the Son of Man had authority to forgive. And not only did he have the authority- but
he gave this authority to others—to share in the work of forgiveness.
Can
we do this work?
John Wesley said of the Lord’s Prayer that “uttered
from the heart, and in its true and full meaning, [it] is indeed the badge of a
real Christian.”[iv]
While the
beginning of the prayer notes our need for daily bread- for physical sustenance--
that need is quickly supplemented by the need for forgiveness—“not
once, but continually.”[v]
“IF you
forgive the sins of any” -and this is going to need to happen a lot—
There is an IF
here- just like that “As” in the Lord’s Prayer- it tells us
that this is going to be a continual thing—and here as Jesus is breathing on the disciples (giving the
gift of the Holy Spirit), giving them authority, sending them out- he gives
them an IF—this is a condition--- a
call to a radical way – an always do this way of
being.
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven
them; if you retain the sins of any; they are retained.” -- There
is no letting go if we don’t forgive.
There is no
healing – there is retaining all the
pain—it is held on to if there is no forgiveness.
All of that pain and fear is- still locked up if there
is no forgiveness.
Locked
up
– Like those disciples in the locked room and hiding- thinking Jesus is still
dead. Not fully able to live in the forgiveness of the cross.
If we are not
participating in the life of Christ
by forgiving as he has forgiven- its as
though we’re still locked up with the
disciples and
Christ is still in the tomb.
In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus says, “Truly I tell you ,
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose
on earth will be loosed in heaven.”[vi]
What are we retaining? What are we binding here and
now and thus binding in heaven?
What is God holding onto because we are holding onto?
When we have accepted that Jesus has forgiven us
from our sins, we are washed anew- we are freed! This is indeed “the inner core of the holy
experience”[vii]
to soak into this well of forgiveness and let our Savior’s love wash over us.
Can you imagine what it is to also extend
this?
When we give and accept forgiveness from others, we extend this holiness!
We share in grace! Grace upon Grace!
We carry out our “sent” authority that Christ has
given us!
We see and know that essentially – “forgiveness is
at the heart of the Christian faith.” [viii] We live into our new our identity as Christ
followers—
“Christ’s
followers are called to
radical
forgiveness,
unreasonable
forgiveness,
reckless
forgiveness,
endless
forgiveness,
seemingly
impossible forgiveness.”
[ix]
It is not easy- in fact Peter once tried to find
where the wiggle room in this forgiveness command lay? Where was the “out”?
“Lord, how often should I forgive?” As many as seven
times?” Jesus said, “Not seven times,
but I tell you, seventy seven times.” [x]
Jesus then told a story about a servant who
experienced forgiveness, but did not carry it forward—it did not propel him into a life of
forgiveness. He did not forgive someone as he was forgiven.
The servant was forgiven by his master and refused
to forgive another- when his master found out he said, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you
pleaded with me. Should you not have had
mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you? And in anger his lord handed him over to be
tortured until he would pay his entire debt.
So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not
forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”[xi]
This forgiveness is serious business.
This is the force
of forgiveness.
Now that may sound harsh…-Force…
But think of what “force’ really is—
Force-- is any influence that causes something to undergo a certain change, either
concerning its movement or direction.
Now,
I’m not a physicist//
-----but I
remember learning that force is
that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity.
Being
in a relationship with Christ is a force in our lives that causes real
change in us.
The
Christian life is a prayer of forgiveness:
“Forgive
us as we forgive them.”
The
Christian life is a suffering cry of forgiveness:
“Father,
forgive them.”
The
Christian life is a commission to forgive:
“If
you forgive anyone, they are forgiven.” [xii]
Being a follower of Christ means that we are
compelled- in fact we are sent out-by
a powerful the powerful force of a life
in Christ- sent with a velocity of love and grace fueled by the Holy Spirit—
You
are commissioned – don’t be locked up—Jesus breathes on you the gift of the
Holy Spirit!
Go
and do as Christ has done for you!
Amen.
[iii]
Mark 2:1-12 and Matthew 9:2-8
[vii]
Wesley Study bible page 1200
[viii]
Zahnd, Brian, 8 “Unconditional?”
