John 20:19-23

It was a pretty, warm spring Friday afternoon and school was nearly out for the day. I was in the sixth grade and was eagerly anticipating Mr. Walter’s closing salutation and the ringing of the school bell. Instead, he called my name and had me stand up in front of the class. There I stood—a skinny kid in blue jeans, tennis shoes, and my ever-present white t-shirt. “Girls,” Mr. Walters began, “if you were to come to school dressed in your underwear, don’t you think that the boys would all laugh at you…. Well, Tony wears his white t-shirt every day, and you know that a t-shirt is underwear. Let’s all laugh at Tony.” And they did….

I didn’t want my parents to know about it. I was so embarrassed…I had one shirt with a collar, and that was for Sundays. But, my best friend Randy Owens told my mom about it. That weekend Mom and Dad went to Montgomery Wards and bought me 4 shirts with buttons and a collar…. It may not seem like much, but well into my adult years, I could think about that spring day and my gut would knot up, my blood pressure would go up…. I would trust God for justice, but I would also dream of it myself--just in case God doesn’t pull through….

“If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any they are retained.” (v.23)

Awesome power…. Matthew says it a different way—binding and loosing. “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt 18:18).

We must understand a couple of things about this power. First, we must trust that this is not just for the 11 apostles. This promise of power is meaningless if it died with them hundreds of years ago.

Second, we must understand that this power is only for the one who has been wronged—the one who has been sinned against. If I see my brother abusing his neighbor, I have no right to say to my brother, “It is alright, I forgive you so you will not be held accountable for what you have done to this neighbor of yours.” What would my “forgiving” communicate to his neighbor--the one abused? It would say that I don’t care about his pain….

But, God cares! God is on your side!

God works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed (Ps 103:6).

What good would it be to say God loves you if God does not also care about your injuries?!

And don’t tell me that once we get to heaven God will erase it as though it never happened! Our lives—both the good and the bad—shape us and fit us for eternity.

Good news for those who are oppressed! God has given you awesome power!

This was welcome news for a teen girl in a study I was doing once at summer camp…. I don’t know what she had experienced, but it must have been bad….

When she thought of Jesus saying to her, “If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any they are retained,” she was empowered! She could require God’s justice upon her oppressor, or she could forgive.

Let me pause right here to tell you that if you are being abused right now, and if you feel powerless to get away, you first must tell someone and get relief—only you can do that! These words are not meant to enable you to endure abuse. Jesus came to set us free, not to make us doormats for others!

The rest of the story—God calls us to forgive…. Forgive or be tormented—“In anger, his lord handed him over to be tormented until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matt 18:32-35.

The next day at that summer camp, we explored God’s call to forgive. That same girl was crestfallen. “You mean I have to forgive?” she asked.

Forgiveness isn’t easy. In fact, when we have been seriously wronged, we often prefer torment to forgiveness. I know, because I have been there….

When I was a young teen, I was molested by a man. There was such shame associated with it that I hid it. I buried it deep but the anger was there…. It led to hatred, anger, depression…. I was in torment….

The road to forgiving may be long, but we must travel it. We will find it is a road of grace….

As Jesus healed the scars of the lame, he will heal our own scars as well….

Carol McGalliard is a writer who tells of her journey on the road to forgiving. As she dealt with her own childhood abuse, she found herself dwelling on it until it left her victimized all over again. She gave up on prescriptions on how to forgive and easy sermons on forgiveness. She began meditating on scripture. She learned to grieve for her scars instead of being angry—she cried with trusted friends who would listen to her…. In that journey, grace found her—she felt how much Jesus loves her….

For me, it was different. I never dwelt upon it. I had hidden it, but it changed me anyway. I had to uncover that scar I had buried so deeply and be honest with it—look at it. I wrote about it. I made it into something I could hold in front of me and look at. In that journey, I encountered grace. I felt how much Jesus loves me—scars and all….

For Carol and for me, there came a day when we saw the scars of our abusers—the ones we had long sought justice for….

We saw them with eyes of grace….

We felt how much Jesus loved them—scars and all….

The day I forgave—really forgave—was a day of liberation for me….

I was set free from my torment—the torment of the unforgiving—the torment of the unforgiven.

And I have been freed to forgive even more. Seeing with eyes of grace leads to more and more grace.

I think back to that spring day in Mr. Walters’ classroom. Wherever he is, I forgive him…. More than that, I love him—not so much with my love, but with the love of Jesus—by grace….

You have been given awesome power. How will you use it?

If you dwell upon your hurt, perhaps you need to grieve for your pain and your loss. Find a trusted friend….

If you cover your pain and hide your scars—even from yourself, maybe it will help to write about it at first….

The road to forgiving is long…. It is not easy…. It is a road of grace…. On it we will encounter the love of Jesus….