Love Through Forgiveness
OPENING PRAYER:
God, open our hearts to you today.
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
REFLECT:
“You never so touch the ocean of God’s love as when you forgive your enemies.” – Corrie Ten Boom
If Jesus was our ultimate example of loving others, including (and especially) our enemies, one of the ways he modeled the love of God was through forgiveness.
On the cross, he cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Jesus showed what it was to forgive those that would be hard to forgive and to do it with love.
APPLY:
“Judas ate too” is a phrase that has shown up over the past couple of years on social media. I love this intriguing reminder of Jesus’ goodness, grace, forgiveness, and love, even to the ones that betrayed him, including me.
Jesus knew what Judas had already set in motion. He talked about it as they all broke bread together. He knew exactly what was going to happen, yet he sat at the table and offered the bread and the wine to ALL of the disciples, including Judas.
How many of us would have done that? I’d safely bet not that many. We wouldn’t have let Judas through the doors. We would have shouted to the others what he had done and we definitely wouldn’t have fed him or washed his feet.
How can we practice this incredible love that Jesus shows? Who has wronged you that you need to forgive? Who has done a disservice to you that you need to invite to the table? Who have you wronged that you need to approach and offer love to?
CLOSING PRAYER:
Jesus, thank you for being our ultimate example of how to love and forgive our neighbors. Help show me the unhealed wounds on my heart that I need to address.
WORSHIP: