Forgiveness Costs

Forgive? Haven't I already done that? No-- I found my myself  making a list (in my head of course) of the offense/s.. But what if he/she never says I'm sorry, Lord, what if he/she never understands the depth of the hurt, and what if you never choose for him/her to see any of these things and be broken over them. How could I forgive? and He just stopped me (in the middle of the list, good grief!) and said " Forgive them, for they know not what they do."  But! "Forgive them, for they know not what they do" 
 
 Because Jesus-- while hanging on a cross to pay the penalty for my sin--- my sin-- that put him there--- and while hanging there and being mocked and having done no wrong...  said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."  I wept, I felt the weight of what this meant... I realized that forgiveness really does mean absorbing the debt however painful it may be.
 
"When someone has wronged you, it means they owe you, they have a debt with you. Forgiveness is to absorb the cost of the debt yourself. You pay the price yourself, and you refuse to exact the price out of the person in any way. Forgiveness is to a) free the person from penalty for a sin by b) paying the price yourself" (Tim Keller)... It's absorbing the cost, and for me consciously releasing it to the One who is in control. And it's a choice....we may have to make sometimes often,  sometimes daily. God sending Jesus was the ultimate example of forgiveness and in forgiving we get the opportunity to be like Him! What a gift!  Lord, help us breathe in and out grace and mercy and lay it at Your feet!
 
One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is... “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” 

Part of being entangled, vulnerable and loving others in friendships, relationships, etc. and living in a fallen world means that people will disappoint, hurt, betray, abandon, etc... and as we enter in to the messiness of this broken world we will sin against others and be sinned against and need to be forgiven and to forgive...

How deep the Fathers love for us. How vast beyond all measure that he should give his only son to make a wretch his treasure. How great the pain of searing loss--- the Father turned His face away---as wounds which mar the chosen one bring many sons to glory.... He loved, he forgave--- "it is finished." 
Now go...  "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32