Photo Credit: Kaan Tanriover
“but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”—Mathew 6:15 (ESV)
The dishwasher in our house is broken. There were times we had to try to run dishes through the wash twice to get all of the junk off them (to no avail). It eventually got so bad we called a technician in last week and are still waiting on a part. As a result, our kitchen sink is often piled with dirty silverware, glasses, sippy cups, bowls and dishes. Last week, we even purchased paper plates to reduce the amount of dishes we had to wash by hand. Even with paper plates, it is amazing how much ends up in the sink. We need to wash the dishes daily to keep the amount manageable. If we did not wash them regularly, I do not want to think about how terrible it would get. There would be no room in the sink to wash our hands, to rinse items, to wet a rag, or even to get a drink of water. Not only the sink, a good portion of our kitchen counters would be filled. The dirty dishes can render the sink (and counters) useless. If they were to remain a significant time, it would begin to smell and flies would fester, making it even worse.
This makes me think about the sin in our lives and all of the “dirty dishes” in our sink. For a moment with me, think of all of the times where people have lied to you. Imagine those times where people have stolen from you as glasses. Times where people have gossiped about you as plates….I think you get the picture. We would need a giant sink to fit them all. The reality is, we do not have a big enough sink. So what needs to happen?
We need to wash the dishes….we need to get rid of the stains, the smells and the stink so we can use the sink again. We need to exercise forgiveness. You might say, Pastor Mike…you do not know what they did! Agreed, I do not know what they did, yet we still need to forgive them. This is the plan and the will of God for us, as it says above, we need to forgive.
1. I need to forgive….because it is the command of God
I could end the blog with this point here. The scripture above is very clear God wants us to forgive those who have done us wrong in the past, present, and future. While it is a command of God, it does not make it easy for us to do. Some people have serious grievances, not simply a candy bar or a pencil stolen. They dealing with the loss of loved ones, spousal infidelity, abuse, something done to their children, etc. I do not want to minimize their pain. Despite this, we all have the same command to forgive. We can see a similar command following the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35. God wants us to forgive.
2. Forgiving demonstrates an understanding of God’s love.
We may think, well, the sins I committed are not too bad. And I have not (insert a sin here), while others have. We may compare ourselves to Hitler, Houssein, Amin and think, not so bad after all. The reality is, all of us deserve death. No exceptions. Even the smallest infraction against God is a sin, and therefore is deserving of death.
This is not the end of the story of course. A beautiful piece of scripture is Romans 5:8 which says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV). I cannot speak for you, however when I analyze and look at my life, I know I am a sinner. I am saved however by grace. I am experiencing forgiveness for my sins because of what Christ did on the cross. I hope you have found the same grace at the cross (or will) as well. If we truly have experienced such a great forgiveness, refusing to pardon someone who wronged us is an insult to the cross. Failing to extend forgiveness demonstrates we have not truly understood what Jesus did for us.
3. Forgiving allows for God’s justice
God is perfect. God is loving. God is forgiving. God is just. Take a moment and let this sink in, especially the last one. To seek revenge is short-sighted. God will judge in the end and his ruling will be complete. When we forgive an individual, we certainly take the costly pain of forgiveness, yet we allow for something greater to happen: we allow God to avenge us. Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (ESV). Please do not view this point as an opportunity to get revenge. God is not going to let injustice go unpunished and we should allow God his right. We forgive and we allow God to have the final word on our behalf.
What if I cannot forgive?
We need to make the effort and not give up. Do not say I will never forgive x. Pray for God to work in your heart to extend forgiveness. Pray for the person who wronged you. Pray for grace and the strength to forgive. Thank God for the forgiveness he gave to you at the cross.
One final thought
Forgiveness does not equal reconciliation. While we may extend forgiveness, it does not mean we immediately trust. We may forgive someone and still experience hurt. We may forgive and not be able to reconcile. When sin enters into the picture there is fallout, there is damage. Sometimes this damage can be repaired, with help from God. For instance, we can forgive someone for stealing from us and we probably will not give them our life’s savings in cash. God can work wonders through is power, love and grace.
What about you? When was the last time you did the dishes?
The points and ideas I have expressed here come from Pastor John Piper in his Ask Pastor John post. To see his interview, or to read a transcript go to
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