Forgiveness Wins

Read Luke 23:13-34

Corrie Ten Boom was a young Dutch woman who was imprisoned with her sisiter Betsie in the Ravensbruck concentration camp during World War II. Her crime had been hiding Jews in her house during the Nazi occupation. During her time in the camp, she and her sisiter experienced horrible brutality, humilation, starvation, and so much more. Although Corrie survived to tell her story, Betsie died in that hellish camp.

After the war, Corrie traveled to defeated Germany to share of Christ's love to a broken and shamed people. After sharing her story one night in 1947, one of her tormentors, a guard from Ravensbruck made his way down the aisle. Though he did not recognize her, she recognized him immediately and dread and fear clutched her heart. He shared how after the war he had given his life to Christ and had experienced incredible forgiveness from God for all of the terrible things he had done. Then he asked Corrie if she would forgive him as well. As all of the horrible images flashed through her mind and as she thought of Betsie, she was reminded of the forgiveness that Christ had offered her. Reluctantly, she took his hand and offered him forgiveness. She later wrote that, in that moment, she had never experienced God's love so intensely.

Followers of Jesus are called to forgive others, regardless of the offense because Jesus made forgiveness possible by His death on the cross. In fact, He demonstrated the power of forgiveness while hanging on the cross.

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."  Luke 23:33-34 NIV

Jesus' own attitude is the perfect example for His disciples to follow. This life is hard and people make mistakes, but Jesus own life teaches that forgiveness is more important than who is right or taking revenge. How can you accept God's forgiveness for yourself but not give it away to others? 

Who is someone that you need to forgive?

What is keeping you from offering this forgiveness?

Dear Jesus, thank You for forgiving me of all of my sins with Your death on the cross. Give me the courage to forgive others as You have forgiven me. In Jesus' name, Amen.