Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 - Part Five

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Five

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

The three preceding examples define forgiveness. In legal terms, society forgives any criminal when he receives pardon, which is a binding and irreversible act whereby the legal system relinquishes its right to retribution. It is as if the offense never occurred. Biblically, forgiveness releases offenders from the debt of sinful and hurtful actions. Forgiveness follows the Heavenly Father’s example in extending pardon and mercy to humankind through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. God’s covenantal love for us is the basis of His forgiveness. Accordingly, the Lord requires disciples to extend forgiveness to receive it. This nonnegotiable command is poignantly evident in “The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.” (Matthew 18:21-35) This man mercifully evades a considerable debt of ten thousand talents; currently equating with thousands, tens or hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of dollars depending upon calculation for inflation and exchange rates. Incredulously, this same servant refuses to forgive a miniscule debt of hundreds of dollars owed to him from another servant who faced hardships. Furious at this act of ingratitude, the master of  the unforgiving servant reestablishes the debt and orders the imprisonment of this ungrateful man until he can remit the debt. This story teaches the divine imperative of reciprocity in giving and receiving forgiveness. Summarily, to forgive means to renounce righteous indignation, surrender rights to punishment and retribution and release of revenge and similar ideas and emotions to God for His perfect judgment and adjudication. More significantly, forgiveness requires disciples to permanently and irrevocably forgive anyone who harms them.

 

A few pragmatic matters relating to forgiveness are noticeable. First, it may take a long time to fully forgive someone. Jesus tells Peter that he is to forgive someone as many times as necessary to complete the process of grace, mercy, resolution and possibly reconciliation. A process of twenty years unfolds within Esau’s mind and heart to yield his forgiveness to Jacob. In that time, Esau obtained discernment, grace, wisdom and renewal of love through a vibrant relationship with Almighty God. His immeasurable wealth and blessings indicate that he processed his anger and resentment. Eventually Esau acknowledges his role in Jacob’s deceitful schemes, and he realizes that his is not lacking anything given God’s bountiful blessings and provision. Even without the birthright and Isaac’s blessings, Esau enjoys an abundance of riches and quality of life. God mysteriously and majestically redeems Esau’s loss.

 

Second, disciples forgive people for their incapacities of character inclusive of lacking morals, ethics and ability to make just choices. “Bad” and dysfunctional parents probably were incapable of being “good” and responsible parents. An infinite amount of pain and injury lingers in the hearts and minds of countless people who live with unresolved childhood trauma and unhealed disappointments. Hurtful words said by busy, indifferent and misguided parents were determinative as some people believed them and allowed those words to impede their progress in life. Irresponsible and immature parents failed to provide adequately, tolerated poverty and allowed hunger, cold, extreme need and public humiliation. They did not exemplify the love, faithfulness and provision that we expect of loving and dutiful parents. Incapacities of character derail ambitions to attend college, disrupt entrepreneurial plans or otherwise negatively affect a person’s quest to seek a higher quality of life. To liberate themselves from the just and understandable anger and bitterness that a person would feel, disciples genuinely rely upon God’s presence and empowerment to learn how to forgive their parents and their parents’ incapacities.

 

Forgiveness may or may not achieve reconciliation. Your forgiveness of a perpetrator does not necessitate that you maintain a relationship with that person. Practically, you do not have to adhere to religious traditions and superstitions that suggest resolving painful relational experiences always end with each side saying “Sorry” as if they were children on a grade school playground. We live in an adult world. There are experiences that are so hurtful, disillusioning, disappointing and disrespectful that victims always fear that they will suffer repeated injuries and abuse if they maintain communication. I am aware of a woman who divorced her husband whom she deeply and unquestionably loved. She did so after years of contending with domestic violence inclusive of physical, emotional and psychological abuse. She ceased to count and recall the myriad hurtful, insulting and damaging words he said. In time, he matured having healed from his childhood pain and trauma that fueled his internal volcanic anger that spewed lava all over their relationship. He admirably and humbly asked for her forgiveness. She graciously and sincerely forgave him. However, she was unable to accede to his deeply emotional and solicitous requests for reconciliation and remarriage. He had simply hurt her heart so thoroughly that she could not entrust her heart to him again. She feared, notwithstanding his claims to the contrary, that he would hurt again. She would not enjoy any peace or security in their relationship. Silently and assuredly, she would wait for the inevitable next barrage of hurtful words.

 

In the twenty-sixth verse, the evangelist emphasizes the conjunction, neither. He reiterates God’s firm demand that disciples give forgiveness if they wish to receive it from Him. The conjunction negates what precedes and succeeds it. Interestingly, it facilitates both sides of the sentence. It reveals the larger requirements of “The Great Commandment” (Matthew 22:34-40) Love of God in turn necessitates love of others. “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Applying the principles of this two-fold commandment practically means forgiving in others the shortcomings that a disciple can so easily forgive within himself. God’s love demands that disciples share with each other the compassion that they harbor for themselves. Growing understanding of God’s love for each disciple equips them to forgive each other.

 

This often-quoted passage teaches us that faith in God encompasses more than a sincere request for God’s favor to increase financial gain, acquire material possession or receive miraculous healing.  Having faith in God entails removing doubt, believing wholeheartedly in whatever you ask of Him, willingness to speak your desires aloud and unconditional belief in God’s ability to do whatever you ask in accordance with His sovereign will. It is important to remember that you offer your requests to a holy God who is the perfect manifestation of love. As He loves humankind and gave His “One and Only Begotten Son” as a sacrifice to demonstrate His covenantal, faithful and unfailing love, He requires anyone who knows His love to share it with everyone else. Practically, disciples as recipients of God’s loving forgiveness in turn logically and liberally extend the same compassion and consideration to all members of the human family. This verse and its context instructs us about the comprehensive nature of faith in God which includes relational dimensions of a disciple’s fellowship with God and connection with his brothers and sisters in the global village.