For me, forgiveness has less to do with God forgiving me and more to do with me forgiving others. I trust that God provides forgiveness, but I always have a hard time forgiving others when I think they might never know the pain they inflicted.
Murphy writes, "Unlike our usual way of thinking that repentance must precede forgiveness, Jesus' proclamation that sins are forgiven is what prompted sinners to approach him in the first place; knowing they were already forgiven allowed them to repent (31)." He uses Luke 15:1-31 for his Biblical proof, including references to the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son.
Luke 15:3-7 is the story of the lost sheep, where a shepherd has 100 sheep but one escapes. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to retrieve the lost sheep and then celebrates with everyone when it is secured. This is the story I need to remind myself of when I struggle to forgive others whom I know I won't speak with again.
The lost son is too relatable for most to understand I think because it specifically deals with family and people. However, looking at the shepherd and the sheep, it is easier to understand why the shepherd is so keen to find the one when he still has ninety-nine with him. The sheep didn't mean to run away and put itself in danger or cause its owner distress; it wandered off without thinking. But isn't this what Jesus brought to our attention on the cross? Forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)?
Yes, there are people who intentionally harm others, and we may never understand their true intentions. Whether it's someone who hurt you personally or news headlines that make our hearts ache with their insurmountable amount of cruelty and injustice, at the end of the day, each person is capable of injury to another. We may think that we would never be that mean, but then, isn't it true that there are people who seem better equipped to handle situations than us? No one is perfect, which also means that no one is capable of kindness at every moment throughout their lives.
We must forgive before repentance is ever considered. We don't know the state of each other's souls, and we never will. If I can view each person as a brother and sister, as a friend who wandered off without meaning to or without understanding the possible consequences, then I will be stronger in forgiving them because I know that injury is often caused by hurt feelings. If person A hurts person B, then that results in person B taking it out on person C without malicious intent or planning. Or, more often, person A doubts and hurts themselves so both persons B and C suffer from their interactions.
At the end of the day, repentance matters between an individual and Christ. Just because I didn't seek forgiveness from someone for my actions doesn't mean I didn't spent time in prayer seeking it from God. This works both ways. If we remember all the times we let something go and hoped that forgiveness was granted to us because we weren't sincere in our cruelty to someone else and hoped they would understand that, then it will be easier for us to forgive others for following this same train of thought.
We are not judges. We are friends. Forgiveness is required; repentance does not always involve us.
My Lord, thank you for Your incredible mercy and love. Guide this world back to You and heal the people suffering from cruelty, injustice, and doubt. We never know each other's journeys, and so we ask that You instill in our hearts a desire for love and forgiveness to eradicate the injustice of the world. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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