Forgiving Each Other – Part 1
Forgiving Each Other – Part 1
Forgiveness has been on my mind lately. It’s something Jesus spoke about often, yet it’s not a topic I remember hearing many sermons on. And yet, in the Lord’s Prayer, forgiveness sits right at the center of how we are taught to pray.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
Jesus doesn’t leave forgiveness optional. He makes it clear:
“For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14–15)
Why is forgiveness so important to God? Why does He command something that can feel so painful, so costly, and sometimes so impossible?
A Personal Story
Let me explain through a personal story — something unpleasant, but something that helped me understand forgiveness in a deeper way.
Back in August, I began experiencing severe pain in my lower body. Sitting hurt. Sleeping hurt. Everything hurt. I assumed it was hemorrhoids and tried every over‑the‑counter remedy I could find. Nothing helped. Then a swollen, painful area began spreading quickly, and I knew something was wrong.
At the ER, a CT scan revealed a large abscess — full of infection. I had already begun running a fever. The doctors acted quickly, performing emergency surgery to drain the infection and prevent sepsis. The smell was awful, and the recovery was slow, but the procedure saved me from something far worse.
How This Relates to Forgiveness
Unforgiveness is like that abscess. It begins small — a hurt, a wound, a memory we don’t want to face. But when we refuse to forgive, the wound doesn’t heal. It festers. It grows. It changes us. It fills us with bitterness, anger, and resentment. It affects our ability to love God and love others.
Just as I needed a doctor to diagnose the infection and begin the healing process, Jesus does the same for our hearts. He shows us the places where bitterness has taken root. He exposes the infection. And He begins the healing — if we let Him.
Forgiveness Is Not Easy
Forgiveness is not easy. Sometimes it feels impossible. But the more I study Scripture, the more I see how serious God is about this command — and how serious the consequences are when we refuse.
“Should you not also have shown mercy…?” (Matthew 18:32–35)
Jesus warns us plainly: forgiveness is not optional for His disciples. It is a matter of the heart — and a matter of obedience.
Christians, take heed.
