Forgiveness is an important theme of our Lord’s gospel. Jesus came to this world to suffer and die to make forgiveness available to all mankind (Matt. 1:21). The forgiveness we receive from God is one of the richest blessings we enjoy (Ps. 32:1; Eph. 1:7).
However, an important aspect of the gospel’s theme of forgiveness is our willingness to forgive others. In fact, the Lord says our ability to receive forgiveness from God is contingent on our willingness to forgive those who have sinned against us. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15).
Who needs this reminder that forgiveness from God is dependent on a willingness to forgive others? Of course, this message is for the “rank and file” member of the Lord’s church. The teaching quoted above was preached to multitudes on the mountain (Matt. 5:1).
However, the Lord knew that His apostles needed reminders of this teaching. On one occasion, Peter asked, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matt. 18:21). The Lord responded with the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (vs. 22-35). In this well-known parable, the master angrily delivered the unforgiving servant to the torturers until repayment of his debt was made. The Lord concluded, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (v. 35).
Of course, each of us must heed our Lord’s teaching and apply this important lesson to ourselves. However, the “each of you” in the above verse were the apostles! They were not exempt from this command. In fact, their position as leaders in the Lord’s church made this warning necessary.
Leaders must have patience and humility. Moses was a very meek and humble man (Num. 12:3), yet he lost his patience with the Israelites and acted in a way that cost him entrance into the Promised Land (20:1-13). If this can happen to a man like Moses, it can happen to any of us.
Elders, deacons, and preachers must sometimes deal with brethren who can make themselves unforgivable. The temptation can be to wipe the dust of their ungrateful attitudes off our offended egos, put up a wall, and decide they are not worthy of forgiveness. In doing so, we make ourselves unforgivable before God.
Look carefully at the wording of our Lord’s instruction concerning forgiveness in Luke 17:3-4. “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (emphasis mine – HR). The New American Standard Update reads, “Be on your guard!” Wounded pride is one of Satan’s most successful avenues of temptation. An unforgiving spirit will grow like a cancer and rot us from the inside, rendering us unfit for the Kingdom or God’s forgiveness.