Availability of Forgiveness

Excerpt from Where Do You Go To Give Up?
Building a Community of Grace
by C. Welton Gaddy

By far the gospel’s most dramatic and unforgettable insight regarding forgiveness comes not from a parable but from a historical narrative. While on the cross, as he was dying, Jesus prayed to God for the forgiveness of those who put him there. He sought the gift of life for the very persons who were taking life from him.

Familiarity with this particular part of the execution scene must not be allowed to blunt the radicality of its meaning. Everybody knew what to expect from a man hanging on a cross. With whatever strength he has left, he screams words of rebuke, denunciation, and condemnation in the faces of those who placed him there. If an innocent man was crucified as guilty, even more piercing cries were predictable — loud protests of injustice and harrowing harangues about unfairness. Silence from a crucified sufferer was unthinkable. But, forgiveness? Silence interrupted only to speak of forgiveness? That scenario fell more into the category of unbelievable than unlikely.

Notice that Jesus’ prayer for the forgiveness of his killers came from what was inside him, not because of the attitudes or the words of his executioners. Search the Gospel accounts of this sad spectacle. Where among the crucifixion crowd do you find a confession of sin, a statement of repentance, or a request for forgiveness? Yet, Jesus prayed, "Father forgive them."

Sin has consequences that sinners cannot escape. However, true forgiveness does not continue condemnations and hurtful recriminations for the person forgiven.

Forgiveness is defined by scripture and modeled in the ministry of Jesus--not by culture, public relations excerpts, and “protect the organization at all costs” executives. In Jesus’ parable, when the father forgave his disobedient, flagrantly evil son, he immediately restored the boy to full sonship (though the still-reeling boy gladly would have accepted the status of a slave). A historical fact, however, makes this point about forgiveness even more emphatically than this hortatory piece of fiction.

According to the gospel, forgiveness--a costly, comprehensive, compassionate, restorative act--is always available. Whenever, among whomever, and wherever sin occurs, forgiveness is a possibility. God authors it. God call people to practice it.