Forgiveness

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

The story is told of a woman who was made bitter by loneliness. She frequently found herself home alone in the evening, and over time she became enraged over her husband’s absences. She kept a journal in which to pour out her feelings, but eventually it became a book blackened by hatefulness; in it, she started keeping track of every minute her husband was absent from the house. When he was present, she railed at him for his absences. Her husband began looking for excuses to stay away from home, and eventually he only came home a couple of nights each week.

But this angry woman was a Christian, and she faithfully spent time with her Lord in devotion and prayer. So it was that Jesus spoke to her heart; He showed her that by wasting the few precious minutes she had with her husband by berating him, she was actually driving him even further away. She realized that on the cross, Jesus forgave the very people who were killing Him—forgave them even though they felt no remorse for their actions at the time. She concluded that if her marriage was to be healed, it would have to start with her—she asked Jesus to forgive her for her bitterness, and to help her lay it aside and replace it with forgiving love. Since she only had limited time with her husband, the woman decided to make the most of every minute. She resolved to fill their moments together with happiness and pleasant conversation. Every page blackened by bitterness was ripped from her journal and destroyed; instead, she only set pen to paper to preserve joyous memories.

It did not take long before her husband started spending more evenings at home with her. In time, he even came to shame-facedly admit that he had been neglectful in his responsibilities as a husband. But his wife had already forgiven him in her heart, and with his admission of wrongdoing, the marriage entered a renewed period of strength and growth. Forgiveness was the key. First, the wife had to admit to her Lord that her own behavior was sinful and must be abandoned. Then, she made a commitment to set aside the hurts caused by her husband—to forgive him. And eventually, the forgiving love of Jesus that had revitalized this woman’s life led her husband to seek forgiveness as well.

Forgiveness—it is Christ’s gift to heal the present and build the future.