Forgiving him “frees us. It keeps
us from going to prison with Conor” said Andy and Kate Grosmaire about Conor
McBride who admitted murdering their daughter Ann.
Could I have forgiven like
that? I don`t know.
But I do know that I need forgiveness and that Jesus told a
parable about a man who had been forgiven a huge debt, refused to forgive his debtor a
trifling sum. The man who did not forgive was told `“I
cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy
on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured,
until he paid back all he owed` (Matt 18:32-34).
Jesus died on the cross to pay my penalty for
me so that I might be forgiven. In view of what Jesus has done for me, surely
the only proper response is for me to forgive others?
If I find that difficult, I can count on His grace to help me.
Ron
