Sunday 29th December – Forgiveness is for sharing – Paul Ridley
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Introduction: The Importance of Sharing Forgiveness
Folks, today we dig into Colossians 3:12-17 to discover what God has to say about the purpose of forgiveness.
Many a wedding has had this text as its heartbeat sermon text. It is Jen’s and mine and we have reflected on it often in our 38 years of wedded bliss…
In it the Apostle Paul encourages us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Central to this passage is the call to forgive one another, mirroring the forgiveness we ourselves have received from God.
However, Paul did not write this text for a wedding in Colossi. He wrote to the congregation. So today we explore this theme, not in the context of a wedding but here in our regular Sunday worship. I invite you to reflect on the nature of God’s forgiveness and our collective responsibility to share it.
- The Nature of Forgiveness
In Colossians 3:13, Paul instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us. Paul is not merely making a suggestion, he is issuing God’s command, a command that’s rooted in our identity as followers of Christ. You see, God’s forgiveness is radical, unearned, and transformative. It reaches into the depths of our sin to remove the barriers between us and Him. We need it!
Just as the manna sustained the Israelites in the desert physically, God’s forgiveness sustains us in our daily sin desert spiritually. Like the manna, His forgiveness is a daily provision that nourishes our souls, renewing our strength and fortifying our spirits against the trials and wrongs of life. Yet, just like the manna, if we fail to share this forgiveness with others and each other, we risk wasting what was never ours to keep, leading to our spiritual decay.
- The Peril of wasting Forgiveness
Imagine the Israelites collecting manna each day. If they tried to store it up, it would rot and become inedible and poison (Exodus 16:20). Similarly, when we hold onto forgiveness without sharing it, it becomes toxic to our souls. Resentment and bitterness can set in, fester and poison our hearts and our relationships.
Paul’s exhortation in Colossians reminds us that forgiveness is not a one-time event but a continual practice. When we refuse to forgive, we are essentially saying that God’s grace is insufficient for them. This undermines the very message of the Gospel. Each time we recall a hurt and refuse to forgive we are choosing poison over the sweet sustenance of God’s forgiveness for ourselves and others.
Holding on to God’s forgiveness for ourselves and yet refusing to forgive others leads us into becoming self-righteous, bitter and twisted people – a far cry from God’s plan for us.
<Stories of publicly announcing forgiveness>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-24/family-forgives-italian-tourist-for-causing-triple-fatal/104512438
Leila said, “Forgiveness at that time, I believe, came from the Holy Spirit.”
“I’ve been practicing forgiveness all my life, on a daily basis: when you forgive your parents, your siblings, your friends, your spouse,” she said. “These are all small acts of forgiveness, but overall, you have to start forgiving the little things in order to be able to forgive the big things.”
- The Call to Community
In Colossians 3:12, Paul describes the characteristics of a community marked by Christ’s love — compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These qualities are essential in creating an environment where forgiveness can thrive. In a world filled with division and strife, the church is called to be a beacon of grace.
Our relationships should reflect the heart of Christ. When we gather as a community, we are not merely participants in a religious institution; we are the body of Christ, each member vital to the whole. Our ability to forgive one another is a testament to the transformative power of the Gospel. It is in our interactions, our willingness to extend grace, and our capacity to reconcile that we bear witness to God’s kingdom.
- Practical Steps to Cultivate a Spirit of Forgiveness
So how do we cultivate this spirit of forgiveness within our hearts and communities? Here are some practical steps:
- Acknowledge the Hurt: It’s crucial to recognize the pain caused by others. Ignoring or minimizing the hurt only prolongs our struggle with forgiveness. Naming the offense allows us to confront it honestly.
- Reflect on God’s Forgiveness: Take time to meditate on the depth of your own sin and the magnitude of God’s grace. Remember the weight of your own transgressions and how liberating it is to be forgiven. This reflection can soften our hearts toward others.
- Pray for the Offender: Jesus calls us to pray for those who hurt us (Matthew 5:44). This act of intercession shifts our perspective and fosters empathy, enabling us to see others through God’s eyes.
- Choose to Forgive: Forgiveness is often a choice we must make repeatedly. It’s not a feeling but a commitment to release others from the debt they owe us. It is an act of will that aligns us with God’s heart.
- Seek Reconciliation: Where possible, pursue restoration of the relationship. This step may not always be feasible, especially if the other party is unrepentant. However, your willingness to seek peace demonstrates your commitment to living out God’s love.
- The Power of Forgiveness in Our Lives
Forgiveness has the power to transform not only individual hearts but entire communities. When we embody forgiveness, we create a culture of grace that draws others to Christ. This act of sharing our forgiveness can dismantle walls of hostility, heal broken relationships, and foster unity.
Consider the early church, where believers were known for their radical love and forgiveness. Acts 2:42-47 describes a community that shared everything in common, where the joy of the Lord was evident. They practiced forgiveness daily, living in the light of the Gospel. Their witness changed the world, demonstrating that forgiveness is a powerful force for transformation.
- Living in the Light of the Gospel
Are we living in light of the Gospel? Are we sharing the forgiveness we have received? Colossians 3:17 encourages us to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father. This means that our acts of forgiveness, no matter how small, should be done in His name, reflecting His grace to those around us.
Each act of forgiveness becomes an act of worship, a tangible response to God’s love and mercy. As we forgive, we participate in God’s redemptive work in our lives and the lives of others. Our forgiveness echoes the heart of the Gospel, revealing the character of Christ to a world in desperate need of hope.
Conclusion: Forgiveness – the Daily Gift of Grace
Forgiveness is not just a personal endeavour but a communal call. We are called to embody the grace we have received and share it generously with others. Just as the manna was meant to be consumed and shared, so too is the forgiveness we receive from God in our Baptism and regularly in, with and under Holy Communion. When we fail to share it, we poison our souls; when we share it, we cultivate life and peace.
As we face a new year, let’s commit ourselves afresh to the practice of forgiveness, allowing it to flow freely within our hearts and in our community. As we do so, we reflect the very essence of Christ, who forgave us while we were yet still sinners.
May our new lives in 2025 be a testament to the power of forgiveness passed on, bringing glory to God and drawing others into His embrace.
Amen.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
What’s the joy? The truth of things and the grace I long for came to me in a way that I could see him, touch him. I would be all alone or drowning my sorrows with other lost sinners if he did not come to me like he did.
Martin Luther apparently got more and more chirpy around the house as Christmas approached. He tells us why:
If Christ had arrived with trumpets and lain in a cradle of gold, his birth would have been a splendid affair. But it would not be a comfort to me. He was rather to lie in the lap of a poor maiden and be thought of little significance in the eyes of the world. Now I can come to him. Now he reveals himself to the miserable in order not to give any impression that he arrives with great power, splendour, wisdom, and aristocratic manners. (Martin Luther, Christmas Sermon 1530)
Now I can come to the God who created it all and me. The barrier between us is removed and I can see God, hear God, touch God, know God, find hope for living through anything in this human-God person born to die and rise for all the darkness and shame of the world and in my heart.
Now, this Jesus is my life. Why so? Luther again:
[This teaching that] Christ is both very God and very human is the rock on which our eternal welfare and salvation are built. On this we are baptized; on this we live and die.
Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 22: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 22 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 25.
Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 22: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 22 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 102.
In these tough times we hear God speaking into our tough things from along side of us; with us; for us; close to us; one of us.
He condescends to assume my flesh and blood, my body and soul. He does not become an angel or another magnificent creature; He becomes man.
This is our great delight and our great hope to share tonight.
Let’s not lose this amazing truth that brings so great a joy to us in whatever troubles we are in.
“Now I can come to Him” because he has come to me to save me, love me, know me, walk with me.
I have that buoyancy again. This human baby holds me up. Keeps me afloat. I have that joy in it all that pulls me through.
How can I get this joy into your heart tonight?
Luther wrote a children’s hymn for Christmas. “From Heaven High.” The carol seems to have been written for a Christmas pageant to be performed in Luther’s church.
I speak it now as a way of getting this joy in this boy Saviour into your heart tonight – for that is what brings joy in tough times:
Look now, you children, at the sign,
A manger cradle far from fine.
A tiny baby you will see.
Upholder of the world is he.
How glad we’ll be if it is so!
With all the shepherds let us go
To see what God for us has done
In sending us his own dear Son.
Look, look, my heart, and let me peek.
Whom in the manger do you seek?
Who is that lovely little one?
The Baby Jesus, God’s own Son.
Be welcome, Lord; be now our guest.
By you poor sinners have been blessed.
In nakedness and cold you lie.
How can I thank you–how can I?
O dear Lord Jesus, for your head
Now will I make the softest bed.
The chamber where this bed shall be
Is in my heart, inside of me.
Take this human God home tonight. He is pure joy.
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