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Scripture ~ Matthew 9.1-8 (CEV)
1Jesus got into a boat and crossed back over to the town where he lived. 2Some people soon brought to him a crippled man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, "My friend, don't worry! Your sins are forgiven." 3Some teachers of the Law of Moses said to themselves, "Jesus must think he is God!"
4But Jesus knew what was in their minds, and he said, "Why are you thinking such evil things? 5Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? 6But I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth." So Jesus said to the man, "Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home." 7The man got up and went home. 8When the crowds saw this, they were afraid [b] and praised God for giving such authority to people.
Wisdom Story
An elderly woman in the village was known to be receiving visions of God. The local priest demanded she prove their authenticity. He said, “When God appears to you again, ask Him to till you my sins, which are known to God alone. That should be proof enough.”
The woman returned a month later. The priest asked if God had appeared to her. She said, “Yes.” “Did you put the question of my sins to Him?”
“Yes, I did,” spoke the woman.
The priest asked, “What did God say?”
“’Tell the priest I have forgotten what his sins were.’”
Comments
One of the great challenges for many persons, possibly all persons, is to accept forgiveness, which is one with forgiving oneself. Forgiveness, in biblical language, is “to free, to release” sins themselves from us. The Latin means “to have without.” Even when we know God offers to clean out of our awareness and body regrets of the past, we can struggle to let ourselves be free.
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While we stress need to free others from our holding them accountable for their harmful actions toward us, we must, as well, accept freedom from our harming others. Without this self-forgiveness, which is really accepting that Love forgives us and wants us free, we cannot wholly move on, but we are tied with tendrils of self-reproach to the past errors.
At root, the refusal to forgive ourselves is an attempt to suffer as payment for the wrong we feel we committed against another or God. The antidote is affectively to connect with the reality of Love that teaches us such self-expiation is selfish and freedom from our mistakes and sins is truly the most loving act we can receive for others and ourselves.
Living in regret is a selfish refusal of the freedom that liberates us truly to love God, others, and ourselves in the present. Living in forgiveness of self is an act of trust in the power and freedom of God to effect through Grace what allows one to live fully in the moment and with hope freed to anticipate the possibilities of the future.
Reflections
Are you struggling to forgive yourself for something from the past? Will you pray, today, that the Holy Spirit will grace you to accept the forgiveness of God and forgive yourself? If you need to ask forgiveness from the person or persons, will you do that as soon as possible?
Prayer
Holy Spirit of Christ, grace me to live free from the wrongs of the past, both those done against me and those committed by me. Free me for service in the present, and to live at peace with you and others, that I will not dump regrets drawn from yesterday on the precious moments and relationships of today. Amen.
Please share these devotionals with others and invite them to write Brian at shalom77@embarqmail.com .
©Brian Wilcox 08-16-07
*Story adapted from Anthony de Mello.
Taking Flight.
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