Forgiving Your Brother

Forgiving Your Brother

            St. Luke 17:3 -4 records the words of Jesus, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”  Wow!  The words of Jesus often trouble us because, most of us do not like conflict so we fail to go to our brother directly and rebuke him (or her) when he or she trespasses (commits an offence) against us.  It is much easier to do the wrong thing and go to someone else and talk to them about the offence against us than it is to go directly to the offender.  Jesus said to rebuke (epitimao 2008) i.e. to censure or admonish the one who committed the offense. 

            If you think the first part of what Jesus said to do is difficult to understand, how about the second part?  Jesus very succinctly stated, “Forgive him.”  When I read this the other day I decided to look up the word aphiemi (863) to make sure it meant forgive.  Sure enough it means: let go, disregard, keep no longer, leave behind, and of course forgive!

If you think the first and second parts of the admonishment that Jesus gave are hard to understand, how about the third part?  Jesus told His disciples to keep on forgiving even after many offences.

            Musicians are very emotional people.  They get hurt very easily because they are sensitive people.  It is no wonder that they get hurt when someone actually does something to them that is definitely wrong.  However, it is never right to fester over something that someone else has done which is wrong.  You may be right about the situation, but if you do not forgive, the offender you are in the wrong. 

Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord, I want you to give me forgiving spirit.  Help me to be able to forgive those who have committed an offence against me.  Help me to forgive others even if they do not ask me to forgive them. Lord, you said I Your Word to forgive so help me to be able to truly forgive.  This petition I am praying in Your all-powerful and wise name.  Amen.  

Song for the Day All Your Anxiety by Edward H. Joy 

Quote for the Day

 My former pastor and great friend Rev. R. E. Carroll once told me , “Garen when someone has committed  a wrong against me, when I go to prayer I say to the Lord, ‘Lord handle me, Lord will you please take care of my attitude.’”