Hmmm…pumpkin smashers found their aim by the time they reached us! What do you see in the picture?
A. A mailbox
B. Vandalism
C. A source of anger and frustration
D. An opportunity
That’s right–it’s option D! (ok ok, yes, A and B too). But seriously–do I consider this pure joy (James 1:2)? How about really meaning the part of the disciples’ prayer which reads, “as we forgive those who sin against us”? Such a minor grievance when compared to our own violence against God…
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. – Psalm 51:4
…whoever has been forgiven little loves little. This does not imply that (as I thought at one time) people who do “worse things” can love more. Rather, it is those who have realized the graveness of the crimes against God they’ve already committed, who have been forgiven, who have the opportunity and the obligation to forgive the smaller crimes against themselves! God, help my eyes stay fixed on your Son…
Matthew 18:21-35
To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life – to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son – How can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night “Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us.” We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what He says.