The personal benefits of forgiveness

When Jesus arrived at the place of execution, the Roman soldiers offered him some wine mixed with a drug called Myrrh. He took a sip, but found it too bitter to drink. Then they placed him on a wooden cross, nailed his hands and feet to it and raised it upright.  Hung between heaven and earth, the Son of God gave his life as a ransom for our sin. I believe he was looking down on the battle-hardened soldiers who were dividing up his clothing when he prayed, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” What a remarkable act of forgiving love!
       Forgiveness is the decision not to repay, the willingness to not seek revenge. Some might regard it as an indication of weakness, but Gandhi was correct when he said, “Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.” That Jesus – in pain from the scourging, the long trek to Calvary, being nailed to the cross – was able to muster the strength to pray that God would forgive his tormenters, is beyond comprehension. Apart from supernatural strengthening, to undergo such an ordeal would have been impossible.
       Forgiveness is a power that changes the life of the forgiver. It frees the one who embraces it and puts it into practice. No longer do they have to be concerned about paying back the offender. Revenge demands that we give full attention to getting even and that concern robs us of our only irreplaceable treasure – time. And while we are spending precious time trying to figure how to get even, our supposed offender goes scot-free. That’s a bad tradeoff! Sin has a way of destroying the one who sins. In a similar way, forgiveness blesses the one who forgives. Once we get our minds off ourselves, it is easy to see that actions, good or bad, undoubtedly benefit or harm the doer more than the recipient. Who can deny the pleasure of those given to random acts of kindness! While forgiveness is specific rather than random, it certainly brightens the day of both.