Luke 7:36-50

Thoughts On Forgiveness

On Sunday, we looked at Luke 7:36-50 and talked about what forgiveness is and what it isn't. I wanted to expand on a few thoughts I shared on Sunday regarding the nature and definition of forgiveness.

Forgiveness either happens or it doesn’t. By it’s very definition, anything less than forgiveness isn’t forgiveness. Here's an illustration:

Let's say you commit a crime that carries with it a $10,000.00 fine, here are a few possible outcomes that illustrate what I mean:

1. You pay the fine. No more, no less. This is justice.
2. You pay NINE thousand instead of TEN thousand dollars. You are still being punished, but punished less. This is mercy.
3. You pay nothing. The payment and punishment are no longer being held against you either now or in the future. This is forgiveness.

BUT

How can a person be forgiven little if forgiveness is an all or nothing proposition?

Here’s the way I see it:

Inherent in the very nature of forgiveness is an aspect of totality and completeness. However, this only applies to forgiveness. It does not apply to the person or wrongs being forgiven.
Therefore, the quality of forgiveness is such that anything less isn’t forgiveness. The only way to be forgiven little would have to be in quantity, not quality.

Take a look at number two above. The good news for you is that you really have been forgiven the ONE thousand dollars! This forgiveness is a complete release from the obligation to pay that portion. It is not partial, not artificial. There is nothing lacking in the quality of the forgiveness received. The problem is, it’s not ENOUGH. The bad news for you is that you still owe NINE thousand dollars. If you can't afford the fine either way, mercy is nice but it's not what you need the most!