Simply, Forgive

There's forgiveness and then there's forgiveness.

Probably the most remarkable human expression of forgiveness happened in Lancaster County, PA in the fall of 2006.  Why in October of that year, a troubled milkman by the name of Charles Roberts burst into the West Nickel Mine Amish School and murdered five young girls, wounding six others.  And with that, law enforcement swooped in and Charles Roberts committed suicide.

Now normally that would be the end of the story.  But it was only the beginning, as not only the police swooped in, but also the Amish, saturating the tragedy with an unexpected ingredient:  forgiveness.  Why hours after the shooting, Amish members visited Robert's widow, parents, and parents-in-law, offering forgiveness.  And then the Amish set up a charitable fund for the Robert's family, again offering forgiveness.

Reflecting on such an unexpected response, Don Kraybill noted:  "...the Amish [don't] ask if forgiveness works, they simply...practice it as...Jesus' way of responding to adversaries, even enemies...[Why] forgiveness is woven into the fabric of Amish faith. And that is why...forgiveness [was expressed] to the [Robert's] family [even] before the blood had dried on the schoolhouse floor..."  http://amishgrace.com/op-ed/

As we travel now to Calvary we experience a similar phenomena, as forgiveness is expressed even before the blood has dried on the Cross.  For early-on in Jesus' horrific experience on the Cross, Jesus, almost immediately, prays:  "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing..."  (Luke 23:34). 

Jesus words are startling, as one recounts the details of Jesus' suffering, even during His 'first moments' on the Cross.  Why early-on Jesus is thrown backward on the cross, His wounds grating across old, jagged wood.  Next iron spikes measuring 5 to 7 inches are driven into Jesus’ wrists and feet, as Jesus slowly sags down, in the words of C. Truman Davis “…with more weight on the nails in the wrists, [resulting in] excruciating, fiery pain [shooting] along the fingers and up the arms…”  http://www.gospeloutreach.net/crucifixion.html

But physical suffering is just the beginning. Why next is the pain of humiliation, as the King of all Kings is crucified, Luke tells us, between two common criminals, “…one on his right, the other on his left…”  (Luke 23:33)  Next comes the pain of disrespect as Roman solders divide “…up [Jesus] clothes [through a dice game]…casting lots…” (Luke 23:34).  Finally is the pain of rejection, as the crowd around the cross “…stood [idly] watching…[as] the rulers…sneered at [Jesus]…”  (Luke 23:35), making faces at Jesus.  
Yet in the face of such humiliation, disrespect, rejection, such violent abuse, Jesus does what?  Jesus simply forgives.  Shockingly, outrageously, stunningly, Jesus simply forgives (Luke 23:34).  

As Jesus simply forgives, we must simply forgive -- recognizing:  the ultimate victory is not retaliating and fighting back. The ultimate victory is releasing and giving up.  Giving up the hurt, the hardness, the grudge – and pardoning the one who has abused and wronged us.

To do otherwise is foolishness -- for if we fail to give up the hurt, the hardness, the grudge -- it's equivalent to "...drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die."  Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies:  Some Thoughts On Faith.

And so give it up!  Give up the hurt!  Give up the hardness!  Give up the grudge!  And then pardon…release…forgive the one who has wronged you!