Schooled in forgiveness

Today we are reading Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. I’m sure there are books written on this chapter; it is pretty heavy. I want to focus on verse 22.

‘But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. ‘
Matthew 5:22

Just open up social media or watch the news, and it’s overwhelming how much anger we have in America. I think I’m pretty laid back; however, I’m pretty protective of my family, so I know I need to think before I react. I have to keep these verses close to my heart.

‘Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness. ‘
Proverbs 13:16

‘Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ‘
James 1:19

When I was in middle school, the town we lived in was near Lexington, Kentucky, and there wasn’t much of a middle class there. Growing up there, you were either rich or poor, and some of the teachers looked down on the poor kids. Not all, but we had some good teachers; a few were horrible.

It was the early 80s, not long after President Reagan was shot. I was in 7th or 8th grade, one of the youngest and shortest boys in my class. My front teeth were gapped, one with a big chip, and I didn’t wear the best clothes or shoes. We were in a business class. The “cool” teacher drove a Datsun 280ZX. He was going around the class, picking out the faults of all the poor kids or those thought to be dumb.

He was calmly joking around (you might say, verbally abusing) some of the kids in the room, smiling and laughing, and the other kids laughed along. He sat behind his cluttered desk, looked at me, and said,

“Matt Fitzwater, he looks like someone who would try to shoot the president.”

Everyone laughed. I just looked at him, seeing his smile, then leaned over and tried to hide behind the kid in front of me. I hated that guy.

‘But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ‘
Matthew 5:44

Over the years, I’ve also done some mean, nasty things to people. I’ve had to repent, ask for forgiveness, and pray hard. I want to be forgiven; to do that, I have to forgive others.

Sometimes, we need the Holy Spirit to help us forgive and accept forgiveness.

I’ve had to pray this prayer, based on Aaron’s blessing, for people I felt had hurt me in some way. I add their name and try to visualize their face or incident.

I forgive you ______________________ may the Lord bless you __________________ and protect you ______________________. May the Lord smile on you ___________________ and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you _________________________ his favor and give you ______________________ his peace. In Jesus name, Amen.

If you want to try this prayer, take a quiet moment to think of someone you struggle to forgive or who has hurt you. Fill in their name in the blanks throughout the prayer, and if it helps, picture their face as you pray each line. You can do this as often as you need, whether you are feeling angry or just working toward letting go. Taking this step can help bring you peace and open your heart to God’s healing.