On Forgiveness Sunday, the Gospel teaches us that God will only forgive once we have forgiven others. This is difficult when we fight about who was right and who was wrong. Since all since is against God, then forgiveness comes much easier. If we can forgive for reconciliation rather than right or wrong, then we unite with each other and God. Then, and only then, we God forgive us.
My brothers and sisters, this morning’s gospel is a very heavy one to bear because it makes very clear one of the most important criteria for our salvation, and that is the ability for us to forgive other people. The Lord says it very clearly, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” But Christ says, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.”
It’s very clear. There’s no gray area in this morning’s gospel. If we want God to forgive us, we must first forgive everybody else. I know, easier said than done, so I’m going to give you a little bit of suggestion. I believe that most of us have been thinking of forgiveness in all the wrong way, and I say that because of the conversations that I have with people. “I didn’t do anything wrong. What do I have to say I’m sorry about? They’re the ones who have to ask me.” You see, we seem to think that forgiveness is about who was right and who was wrong. But forgiveness has nothing to do with who was right, and some of you have heard me say this, if you come to me for confession, and that is that, if we remember that all sin is against God and not against us, then it becomes easier to forgive.
As part of our prayers, the 50th Psalm, “Have mercy on me, O God. Have mercy on me,” It’s the psalm of forgiveness given to us by David. And, in that psalm, says he’s says, he’s speaking to God, and it says, “Against you, you only have I sinned.” You see, my brothers and sisters, our sin is only against God. Yeah, we might feel the effect of other people’s sins. When someone slaps us, we feel the pain, but the sin is against God. If we can embrace that truth, two beautiful things happen. One, we realize just how much we have to ask God for forgiveness because, from the moment we wake up, we forget to love. But the other beautiful thing is when we remember that the sins of others are not against us, but against God, then, finally, we can be relieved from the pressure of holding resentment because, if the sin is not against me, what’s the harm in forgiving?
You see, we tend to seek forgiveness to win an argument, “I forgave them, I’m the winner,” but we don’t win. If we seek forgiveness to reconcile with each other, imagine how different our relationships would be. Instead of having a conversation, “I was right. You were wrong. I win. You lose,” in true forgiveness, it’s not about who is right and wrong. It’s about both of us loving each other enough to reconcile so we can be united with each other and with God.
Συγχώρησει the Greek word is to share the same place, to say it a different way in English, to put yourself in their shoes, in each other’s position. If we want to share the same place with each other, that requires reconciliation and love. It doesn’t require right and wrong because, if everything only boils down to right and wrong, then there’s always a loser. And I can tell you that, if you think you’re the winner, then you’ve lost because you’ve broken something in a relationship. This is how important forgiveness is, because then God will forgive us. “If you forgive men their trespasses, your Father will forgive you,” and then He goes on to say about fasting.
So, my brothers and sisters, today, the Sunday of forgiveness, we have a very special opportunity this evening. Every year, we have the forgiveness vespers, a special service of the church on the night before Lent begins where, at the end of the vesper service, in a dark church with just a few candles, we take the opportunity to forgive each other in front of the altar of God, to start our Lenten journey reconciled to each other and then, I guarantee, because Christ does, once we have forgiven, then God will forgive us.
So, my brothers and sisters, let go of the grudges. Let go of the pain, and sometimes that even means for forgetting about who was right and who was wrong, and start fresh today so that our fasting tomorrow can have purpose and our prayers and our love for each other and God can draw us closer to each other and God, not further apart because, when we all get to God in heaven, the last thing we’re going to want is to be pointing fingers at each other.
We can stop today and we can unite ourselves in reconciliation and forgiveness, and so I invite you to come tonight, participate in this ancient tradition of our church to forgive each other. Every single one of us in the church tonight will have an opportunity to embrace each and every single one of us. If you’ve never experienced that true, genuine embrace and reconciliation, I encourage you to come tonight. It is a life-changing experience because it draws us closer to God. That’s the joy of forgiveness and then we can enjoy being forgiven and enter into the kingdom of heaven. Glory to God for all things.
