Well, hey friends, welcome back to another edition of the weekday podcast. I'm so glad you're here and that you've carved out just a few minutes to reflect and focus. And Pastor Chuck introduced our topic for the next several weeks yesterday. As we think about this idea that honestly is both beautiful and incredibly hard, it's forgiveness. And so today, what I want to do is just acknowledge that Jesus had a lot to say about forgiveness. And it's not just a bonus feature in a person's life that wants to walk with Jesus. It is at the center of what it means to follow him. So I just want to give you some bullet points, big pictures around how Jesus thought about forgiveness. Here's the first idea. Love and forgiveness, they are two sides to the same coin. In John 15, verse 12, he said, this is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you. And in John 13:35, he says, by this all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. And so if love is the mark of a disciple, then forgiveness is how we keep that love alive. Because the truth is, our love is imperfect. We mess up, we say the wrong things, we don't always listen. We hurt each other. And when that happens, the coin flips from love to brokenness. But forgiveness, Forgiveness is what flips that coin back over. It's the healing work that lets love flow again. Which brings us to our next idea. Jesus didn't just talk about forgiveness. He actually lived it right. Jesus didn't just teach about forgiveness from a distance. He modeled it up close. In Luke 7, a sinful woman breaks down at his feet and everyone else wants to cancel her. But Jesus, he says, your sins are forgiven. Or how about John 8, a woman caught in adultery and dragged into the public square. People are ready to stone her. But Jesus doesn't throw a stone. He says, I do not condemn you.
Go. From now on, do not sin any longer. And maybe the most powerful moment of all is in Luke 23, verse 24, when he's hanging on the cross after being betrayed, abandoned, and tortured. And Jesus says, father, forgive them, for they do not know what they're doing. If you just pause there, most of us struggle to forgive someone who cuts us off in traffic. Jesus forgave the people who nailed him to a cross. That is not weakness. That's divine strength. Which leads us to our next idea. Forgiveness is actually a choice. It's not a feeling. And so when you think about this, forgiveness is not easy. It doesn't come naturally. It's not automatic. It's intentional. It's a decision. It's choosing to say, I'm not going to let bitterness write the story. I'm going to let grace write the story instead. Peter asked Jesus on one occasion, lord, how often should I forgive? Seven times. And Jesus basically said, try 77. Not literally. That number means as often as it takes. Jesus is saying over and over again. In other words, forgiveness is never just a one time act. It's a lifestyle. It's choosing peace over resentment, freedom over bondage and restoration, revenge. And Jesus calls us to that kind of life. Think about the parable of the unforgiving servant. Jesus told the story in Matthew 18, verses 23 through 35, and it haunts me every time I read it. It's about a servant who owed an unpayable debt, millions of dollars worth in today's terms. The master forgives the debt entirely. But then that same servant goes out. He finds a guy who owes him a few hundred bucks and throws him in jail. The master hears about it and says, are you kidding me? I forgave you of everything and you couldn't forgive a little. And then the gut punch here. Jesus is saying, don't forget how much you've been forgiven. When we remember what God has done for us, it softens our hearts and it gives us the capacity to forgive others. And so today, as you think about this, this gives us a ministry of forgiveness. After the resurrection, Jesus didn't just scold the disciples for deserting him. He could have. He had every right to. But what did he say? He said, peace be with you. Then he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them. Jesus passed the George. He said, keep this going. Don't just receive forgiveness, give it away. Be peacemakers. Be grace givers, Be reconcilers. So today I just want you to think about that. If there's ever been a time that the world needed more of this kind of living, it's now. So here's some questions today. One is, who do you need to forgive? Not because they deserve it, but because you've been forgiven first. Two, is there something you're holding on to? Some hurt that's keeping love from falling again? Ask Jesus to flip the coin. And then three, maybe today you need to receive forgiveness. You've been beating yourself up. You've been carrying shame that he's already nailed to the cross and he says, peace be with you. You're not too far gone, you're not too messed up. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. And sometimes that's me and sometimes that's you. Well, hey, thanks for spending a few minutes with me on the weekday podcast. If this encouraged you, would you share it with someone who might need it? Pastor Chuck will be back tomorrow to continue his thoughts around forgiveness. I'll be back Thursday and he'll be back Friday to wrap it up. We can't wait to walk the rest of this week with you.
