Is God's Request to Forgive Logical?

I am going to spend some time, this morning, on one of Jesus’ well known parables.  This double-sided story is one that every single Jewish ear listening would have totally understood.  They would have understood, because Jesus was talking about some pretty sacred  Jewish rule and traditions known by all. 

11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them.

The Father defied all the rules!  And he did it regardless of what anyone thought.  He cared for his son first!   That is how God works too! 

Point of interest!

There is one little word that is used consistently in scripture.  That word is “as!”  I bring this up because I am going to refer that term as I move through this exegesis. 

When we pray, in the Lord’s Prayer we pray: “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

When we pray that petition, we are asking God to forgive us “as” we forgive others.  

Just a wonder?  How does that work for you? 

I’ll tell you how it worked for me some years ago.  When I was pretty much standing along side of the older son.  With his attitude of “It’s not fair!”

It was a time in my ministry, when I was involved in a situation, that bid me to pay attention to the extravagant love and forgiveness of God.  It called me to complete attention.  Attention on how I should deal with someone else transgressions — malefactions.

Because you see, this particular parable dis-allows our natural instincts to be appalled at God’s request to forgive.  Or not to take a stance of judgment! Or to assume what someone else does or does not “deserve!”

This parable defies all of our natural instincts. And begs us to pay close attention to the truth about this amazingly gracious and understanding God. 

Side note:

Kids have a wonderful way of expressing the fact that God just doesn’t make sense to our human minds.  Just take a turn at teaching Junior High kids in confirmation.  You’ll witness such clear honestly in their thinking.  And they are right on!  Sometime God’s will just does not agree with our logical thinking.

 However, what do we do with this common, yet sometimes quite impossible, lesson that Jesus puts before us?  

That is the question I asked myself over and over and over during that traumatic time.  “How do I learn to forgive “as” God does?

Often, during that time, my mind would kick into its habitual circular conversation mode.  Sometimes that is helpful!  Sometimes in is quite frustrating!  Because I know that God’s ways are not my ways!  That is biblical!  I know that God’s way it best!  But!!

And since I am certainly not God, somehow it is okay!  Okay, for at least for a moment, to want to shake the living daylights out of the one I am totally upset with. 

The truth is, during those months, I was simply not able to go to the space of grace and forgiveness that comes so naturally to God.   So I spent a great deal of time praying, for the strength to be gracious and forgiving, by asking God for “help.”

Actually, the prayer for help is most often the best prayer we can ask for.

What I have come to totally believe is that God’s greatest desire is for his children to turn completely towards him for love and mercy.  Because, when we realize our need for God’s help and guidance; it is the first, and only, step toward forgiving others.

But back to the parable!  Lets put ourselves in the shoes of the younger son for a moment. 

You have broken some very important rules of our family, as well as your religious traditions and cultural mores.  And you are the ones in need of such gracious forgiveness and love.  

Now the shoe is on the other foot.  And this God of unconditional acceptance seems pretty wonderful.  And fair!

                                                              Right?

When we find ourselves in a conflicted situation, our temptation is to get even, get revenge or see justice done is totally real.  Not all that uncommon to the human ego!

At times like that it would be good idea to remember this difficult little parable.  And, it would not be a bad idea, to remember how God deals with each and every one of us equally!  Equally!

God’s gentle mercy, and forgiveness, works both ways!  It is true for me!  And it is true for the other person! Both worthy of God’s forgiveness!  No exceptions!

                  It is just the truth!

In the long run, it is for our own mental, emotion and spiritual well being.  Because forgiveness given releases the poison of anger and resentment.  So that inside of us, in our hearts, we can be free to be as God has made us to be.  That is, gratefully and loving and compassionately forgiven.

Having said all of the above, there is so much more to be said about this profound parable. It is just too much for just one blog.  

So I will leave you, this morning, with this thought!

Forgiveness was so extremely important, to the point of Jesus’ ministry, that he hung on the cross to tell us.

11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." ' 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. 25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, "Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' 31 Then the father said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.(Luke 15)

We All Fall Short Of he Glory of God!

Point of Clarity! The Gospel, I am referring to this morning, refers to “sinners.”  I want to clarify my issue with the term. “Sinners” is a very misunderstood term; and over used term among the human race.  So I decided to looked up its synonyms!  “Malefactor” came up as one more to the point of what scripture might mean by the term.

According to Biblical Scholars, a sinner is “one that misses the mark” when it comes to living up to the image of God.  

A malefactor is “one who commits an offense against the law.”

1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told them this parable:

Scandal of Scandals!  Jesus associates with those who don’t meet the standards of the high-and-mighty!  

So the “righteous””grumbled, in discussed, at the likes of tax collectors and sinners being in Jesus' presence.

I wonder, who is it that we would grumble about, that Jesus would dare to share a meal?  Who are those, in our culture today, that pop into our minds a “sinner?”  Unworthy of being accepted in Jesus’ presence?

Jesus gives us this pointed example of God.  God is like the Shepherd who knows his sheep so well that he knows how afraid and alone a lost sheep is. And how that sheep would act when separated from the flock.   Within the safety of the flock, he might bleat, yell out, when in destress.  However, when outside the safety of the flock, in a strange environment he, might instead, lay down and hide in the surrounding brush.  In fear of the strange dangers that could harm him.  Immobilized by fear.  However a faithful  shepherd is the sheeps hope.  One who will search and search to bring him back to the flock.  

That is how God cares for those who are lost and afraid , even in todays large world.  That is the God  Jesus came to bring to this earth. A world so full of people, all to willing to place labels those that are lost and alone. Jesus says a resounding no to such judgment.  

The God Jesus came to bring is a God willing and able to go the full distance to find the lost and hurting.   Going to the ends of the universe to help them understand his compassion and mercy.

Unfortunately, that precious point seemed lost on the egos of some.  There are still those, who want us to believe, that God only loves us -- accepts us -- when we follow all the rules.  Dotting every i and crossing every t!  Otherwise we fail!  And God just washes his hand of us!

Well, think about this!  Neither the sheep nor the coin can repent.  

The issue is, as usual, much more complicated than the so called righteous minds want to deal with.  The parable, a multi-pointed story, is not to call sinners to repentance.  But to invite the so-called-“righteous,” who find God’s mercy offensive, to change their misconception of the label sinner.  And more to the point, their misguide interpretation of God’s Grace. 

What we are hearing, in these two little parables, is about God’s true nature.  And how God deals with each and every one of us.

It is not about who is malefactor.  Nor about repentance! It is about a God who created a human being that cannot possibly live up to the image of God.  And yet, who has for centuries pretended to do so!

Luther’s interpretation of the “depth of human sin-fullness:” is eye opening:  

“Human arrogance that attempts to justify oneself before God.”

Luther is clear about the impossibility of “living up to”  God.  He is also clear about this thing call “grace.”  That is he is clear about the fact that  our only hope before God was, indeed is,  not following a set of well defined rules for our behavior and our living.  

But that our hope, our blessing, was/is through faith.  Faith that God loves each of us in ways that go fare beyond our limited imaginations. Or all of our ageless traditions! 

I will suggest here that the questions is not who is the malefactor.  Or who is lost!   But how we believe God handles the offense.  That is, How God responds to prideful, and arrogant, assessment of others as “less”, or “unworthy.”  Putting oneself in the place of judgement and/or the realm of self righteousness!   As if!  As if we could dare to justify ourselves, before our all-knowing God, as anything but malefactors.  Never quite living up to what God created us to be.  His image!

We, you and I, live right along side of the tax collectors. And, as a matter of fact, all the other so-called-low-life of the world. Altogether, standing or sitting, striped naked before God’s gracious mercy. 

So, I am thinking that the question is:  Where do we go from here?  

Answer: 

When we can place our ego-filled-pride, and arrogance, along side any of those we name as malefactors.

When we can say what Paul writes in his letter to young Timothy:

12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.(1 Tim. 1)

That is one extraordinary, very personal, admission of a malefactor, from one who knew first hand the grace and forgiveness offered to each of us no matter our malefactor-fulness.  

               Absolutely no buts!

    None!

Because!  Because those who find God’s mercy, to another, offensive may well exclude themselves from God’s grace.

Did you Get that?

I quote:  “The Scribes and Pharisees who claim righteousness (Luther would call it arrogance).  Put themselves outside the circle of divine grace; by the way they grumble at Jesus’ fellowship with sinners.” (Charles Cousar Feasting On The Word) 

That surely invites us to stop and think!

The attitude, the claim, that God’s/Jesus’ mercy is offensive, put those who think so outside the circle of God’s grace. 

That, my friends — or naysayers — is a most powerful word!!!

Who am I?  Who are you? To deny the mercy of God to anyone?

For the saying is absolutely true:  “We all  sin and fall short of the glory of God!”

21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 

23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 

24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,(Rom. 3)

The grace is!  God is understanding, loving and forgiving!

God rejoices in our mustard-seed-faith!

      

         Our mustard-seed strength to follow in his ways!

1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 So he told them this parable: 4 "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(Lk. 15)

How Seriously Are We To Take Jesus?

Now lets get back to the Jesus this Gramma has come to know. 

First, a disclaimer: It may seem that I am claiming to know what God wants and thinks.  When in actuality, I am just  trying to make sense of this extremely uncomfortable word from Jesus.  

Ok! What we have here is the admonishment to take seriously Jesus’ call to be one of his disciples/students.  

This is one of those difficult, maybe impossible, texts that cause us to ask: Does Jesus literally mean that we are “to hate?”  

If nothing else, it certainly does wake up our sleepy minds.  

Is the loving and Forgiving Jesus literally suggesting that we “hate” our family and friends?  

Or, Is Jesus challenging us to look beyond our feelings?  Beyond our own family, and those dear to us?  Beyond, to a much larger commitment? 

Something more than what we can even attempt to name as precious.  More precious than our physical being, our  relationships and possessions!

That is, beyond all we have been given, all we have been blessed with. Beyond all of that!  To the giver!  To the giver who is offering us more possibilities.  Even more precious than how this life, on earth, defines us. 

This call to be a student of Jesus is something that, “adds, to our ordinary life, the potential for a conflict of loyalties.  Causing us to go against the normal flow of living.  Reordering affections that would normally claim first place.” (Ronald P. Byars, Feasting On The Word, p49)  

I’m thinking, Jesus is reminding us that all we have been given is from God.  And those blessings are to be kept precious of course!  However, the one who gave them, the Creator God, want us to now take the love and those relationships, that we have been given, are to be used in a larger, much broader, way!  By spreading those blessings throughout the world beyond the particular environment we live in.  

I believe that Jesus wants us to understand that God’s family is so much larger than our own tiny life.  

He wants us to understand that we are just one little part of something far greater.

And, until we realize that, we are limited in our ability to love “as” God wants us to love.

In this particular teaching moment Jesus is setting the bar of discipleship on a higher level.  We are to go a step beyond our own comfort zone.

I find the analogy Jesus use for this higher level of loyalty interesting: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost….” 

And you ask: is there a “cost” in following Jesus?  Yes!  And that cost is the higher level of loyalty. Going one, or possibly two, steps beyond comfortable.

I know! I know all about being saved by faith through grace alone!  I am clear on that!  But does that honestly mean that we have no responsibility?   Nothing to do?

Does that mean that we just float along on the sea of sweet grace with no effort of our own?  Just here to float along on into eternity?

That is certainly not what Jesus ever said!

What he actually did say is that we would do the works he did, and greater works than his. (Jn.14:12)

So, there is most certainly a “cost!” 

And that cost has nothing what-so-ever to do with money!  There is more to following Jesus than just opening our wallet, or moving our feet. 

To get an idea of this cost, think about Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness (Lk. 4).  Like Jesus, we are tempted to be God sometimes.  We are tempted to choose pride over love as well.  We are tempted to go along with the conversation; rather than call a stop to local gossip.  Just to name a few of the world’s call to compromise!  

As I said in, another blog, we live in a tiny little bubble that includes only a small piece of a much larger would outside of our little corner of existence.  A huge population out there that God has made. Out of sight of our tiny ant’s-eye-view of what it mean to follow Jesus.

And, even if we don’t take Jesus’ word to hate literally.  And I don’t by the way!  His word should give us pause to, at the very least, give some thought as to where we fit into Jesus’ call to follow him.

I will leave you with one of my question to chew on. 

How seriously should one take Jesus’ call to live and love as he modeled?  Do we really need to be an A student?  Or is average okay?

Okay, thats two question(;

25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. (Luke 14)

A Message of Hope!

Psalm 27 is one of my favorites.  I invite you to read it, and see if you  understand why I might like it so much.  And see if you can identify with the Psalmist.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall. 

3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. 

4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. 

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 

8 "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" Your face, Lord, do I seek. 

9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 

10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. 

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 

12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. 

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!(Ps. 27)

Did you hear the vacillation between trust and doubt?

It is so very human to me!  Because we all, or mostly all, wonder from time to time where God is in all the crap of life that invades our peace of mind. That interrupts our ability to be free to believe in God's amazing grace.  

The Psalmist, as faithful as he must have been, is perfect for allowing us permission to have fear and doubts, as will as faith and trust. I'll say we are given a profound truth here.  The truth that fear and doubt exists, in the most faithful of souls, along side of a confident display of trust in God.

In the presence of obvious enemies, evil activity, dishonesty, and whatever else is bothering him; the Psalmist chose not to be afraid.

Faced with the limits of human control, he places his energy into trust and faith in God's unlimited ability.  Calling upon God to keep him safe and strong.

He begins with the hope of God's promise of presence, by naming it: His, light and salvation.  The stronghold of his life.  Well stated faith!  

Then he asks the question of questions: "...Of whom shall I be afraid?"

A radical display of trust in the face of what life hands every single one of us!

I make this point this morning  because so often I hear people chiding themselves for doubting and/or being afraid.  They assume a weakness of  faith upon themselves; because of these two very human qualities.  

When the truth is, doubt and fear have always been apart  of any faith journey. 

I remember so clearly the first time I heard the permission to have doubts and fears.  I was in class at Carthage College.  Duddly Riggle, the Department Head for Religious Studies, made this statement in class one morning:  "Out of honest doubt comes the strongest faith!"

That simple little piece of information was freedom for me!

You see,  I had grown up being told, at Sunday School, that I should "never question God."  And that when you doubt God it meant that my faith was not good enough. 

"Balderdash!" As my freshman English Professor would often say.   Usually she would say that to shut us up after saying something not-so-smart.  It is a good word for those who tell little, or big, children not to question or doubt God.  Those Sunday School teachers must have never read Psalm 27.  

In truth we vasolate between trust/faith and doubt our entries lives.

As a matter of fact both our doubts and our faith, living inside our small brains, means the we are taking the reality of God seriously. 

When we are wiling to entertain our doubts.  Allowing ourselves to be involved, in the most honest of conversations, about doubt and about God in all those doubts. Then, and only then, are we free to believe and have faith in this elusive God we so quickly call upon in times of stress.

Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher,  has this to say about our human understanding of our invisible God:  

"What can be seen on earth points to neither the total absence, nor the obvious presence of divinity; but to the presence of a hidden God! Yet, everything bears his mark." (Pensee 1962 Harpers)

You and I know that, in solid truth, we have limited control and no absolute certainty with respect to the future.  However, because we believe in a God without limits we have the precious ability to hope.

And like Tigger!  Hope "is a wonderful thing!"

Do you remember when Mother Teresa's memoirs came out?  The title is: 'Mother Teresa And The Mystery of God's Absence.'

It caused quit a stir among the "religious." They wanted to have her band from her position of honor in the Roman Catholic Church..  Calling her a "phony."  A phony because she admitted to her "doubt and dark night of the soul."

I continue to be appalled by such judgments!  First of all, no one has the privilege, nor right, to judge someone's else heart.  Secondly, how many of those "religious" folks would bow low and pick up a dong-dirty person out of the cutter and hug them close speaking of God's love for them?  She may have had her doubts!  But she lived her life serving the God she sometimes found difficult to believe in.  

Mother Teresa, instead of falling away from the faith, continued to enter the conversation by living in the grace of God.  Knowing, sometimes doubting, yet pursuing this truth that sustains us all in time of our own "dark nights of the soul."  

Choosing to believe in the midst of it all.  

Hoping beyond hope that she would see "the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."

She did that, and we do that, by "waiting for the Lord, being strong and taking courage," by the grace of God. 

May we, like Mother Teresa, continue our own faith journeys that leads us every closer to a very real God.