Forgiveness part 2

March 12, 2019

Forgiveness...it’s been on my mind since last night’s post. What would it be like if we took seriously Jesus’ gift of authority to forgive? How would our relationships be healed? That alone is worth pondering, but there’s another facet of forgiveness that’s on my mind. What if we took seriously that authority to forgive our own sins? 

In the book and musical Les Mis, Flaubert pursues Jean Valjean through life, determined to make him pay for the minor infraction of stealing some silver candlesticks and plates from the priest who had taken him in. The priest not only told the gendarmes they were a gift, but added, “you forgot these other pieces I gave you.” Later, he told Valjean, “I have bought your soul for God,” and Valjean finds he cannot escape such extravagant mercy. Towards the end of the story when Valjean has the opportunity to exact revenge on Flaubert for his relentless pursuit, he instead pays it forward with his own forgiveness. 

Flaubert now faces a crisis of his own; his sense of justice has been upended by forgiveness. But instead of receiving it as did Valjean, he rejects what in his legalistic view of life he cannot understand, and commits suicide. 

Forgiveness was offered, but he was unable to forgive himself. Flaubert has many names and faces. He is my friend who kept deceiving himself until I offered forgiveness. The relationship has not yet been restored, I suspect because he still carries on the shoulders of his heart the guilt for not keeping his word. He doesn’t need to do this. He is truly forgiven. There are others who’ve been offered forgiveness but keep trying to pay what they cannot afford. They work diligently in church and society to assuage the guilt of the past. Instead of serving with joy, there is a desperation about it as if they are trying to atone for their past actions. 

When God offers forgiveness, it’s because Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins in full. There is nothing we can add to it. The only requirement is for us to believe and accept what he has offered. God has done his part; will we do ours? Freedom from guilt awaits those who don’t try to cover up or rationalize their sins. I must confess that at times I’ve had a hard time believing in this forgiveness, but the more I live into it, the more I am able to offer it. I have a long way to go, but I am thankful tonight that by God’s grace, he not only forgives me, but gives me the authority and ability to forgive myself.