The Secret to Healing Part III

by Wendi Kaiser

In Matthew Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. The only prayer point He re-emphasizes is forgiveness. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matt. 6:14?15). This point is again made in Mark 11:25: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

What was the Lord's example of forgiveness? I like to see this as Jesus' dying prayer to His Father: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). As we have seen, we are commanded to forgive as Christ forgave (Mph. 4:32, Col. 3:13). Do we believe that all those who were crucifying Christ were repentant or remorseful? The soldiers were busy gambling thoughtlessly to pass the time of day. They and others had mocked Jesus and challenged Him to save Himself, though one soldier did finally express awe toward Jesus' extraordinary behavior during His crucifixion. These people did not deserve or ask for Jesus' forgiveness, and yet He prayed for forgiveness on their behalf. Likewise, we have the Christ-like example of Stephen's dying prayer in Acts 7:60: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

An unforgiving spirit toward another person may not hurt him, but it will clearly degrade one's own soul. Booker T. Washington knew the power of forgiveness when he said, "I will not permit any man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him."

Note: All Scriptures are taken from the New International Version.

-01/30/03

This article first appeared in Cornerstone Magazine, Issue No. 117.