Luke 17:1-4
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Truth: Forgiveness is hard, but commanded
If we wait to forgive someone until we feel like it, we probably will never forgive them. IF forgiveness is dependent upon the feelings of the offended, than forgiveness will forever be locked in the abyss of emotion. IF forgiveness is dependent upon our "thinking" the offending party deserves forgiveness, we will never see forgiveness carried out. Jesus knew this and, instead of allowing either our thinking or our emotions to control what God does for us out of character, commanded that we forgive. That makes forgiveness and act of obedience rather than a something we feel or think warranted. In the above passage the context is more than important. Prior to the commandment of forgiveness, Jesus has explained to His disciples how important it is to never offend a weaker brother. Jesus explains to them that temptations will come and in the temptation we are not to offend another brother. If we do offend them it would be better that we are drowned in the sea. Jesus than tell us to "pay attention" ... which could be a warning to not offend (the past statement) or warning to make sure we forgive (the following statement). What Jesus seems to be saying is that believers will be tempted to sin. When we do sin, we ought to be careful, in that choice of the temptation to not only not sin, but also to not offend our brother. IF, however, we do offend our brother, THAT brother is not to hold that sin against us. That offended brother is to rebuke the one who fell into temptation, sinned and, thus offended us. But, WE are to make sure we keep a spirit of forgiveness in our hearts and not continue to hold his sin over him. IF he asks forgiveness we are to grant it. Not just once, but repeatedly. So, one brother is not to offend another brother by sining in front of him/her. But, if the sin is committed in front of him/her, than him/her is to practice unlimited forgiveness toward the sinning brother. That is a radical thought process. That is what makes Christianity so bizarre. Those who practice such behavior are odd, unique and peculiar ... something we are supposed to be to the world. Note what Peter says about us:
1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Showing remarkable forgiveness to the outside world by forgiving those on the inside of the Kingdom should be a hallmark of our lives. However, instead of forgiving we blog about them; openingly gossip about them; and, continually hold it against them. This is neither Godly or obedient. Forgiveness is a commandment.
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