She forgave him!?  I saw it live on TV.  I heard it through speakers piped into my living room.  Others were in the room who could verify what she had just said.  I’ve gone back and watched the clip a dozen times.  And it still amazes me.  It still shocks me.  Forgiveness will never be anything but scandalous.

And consider how much more scandalous and even foolish it should be to anyone with a materialistic worldview.  If this world of colliding molecules is all that there is, and survival of the fittest is the true underlying operating feature, then forgiveness is more than merely scandalous; it is foolish!

Forgiveness refuses to use the power of hate.  Forgiveness surrenders the natural human bent toward vengeance.  Forgiveness runs so counter to a world that calls us to leverage every advantage to our own ends.  Forgiveness makes absolutely zero sense if the only values in the world are power and might.

And if that isn’t surprising enough, Erika went on to root the reason for her forgiveness in Jesus Christ and his forgiveness of others.  By pointing to Jesus, this young mother and widow, drew attention to the source of forgiveness and hope.

Jesus died on the cross to be the sacrifice for the sins of His people.  He paid the penalty my sins deserved, so that I can stand forgiven before God the Father.  The disparity between the animosity I deserved and the kindness I have received couldn’t be more shocking.  Grace is amazing and grace is scandalous.  But also, grace is costly.

The forgiveness we’ve received from the Holy God cost Him death on the cross.  He is Holy.  He cannot just flippantly overlook sin and continue to remain holy and just.  To merely offer words of forgiveness to us would be unjust.  Unjust to those we’ve wronged as well as unjust to His own character.  In the forgiveness of God, he doesn’t OVERLOOK sin, but instead he suffers the punishment for it!

God’s forgiveness is not like our forgiveness.  If you were impressed by Erika’s forgiveness of ‘that young man’, then you have got to take in the forgiveness that Jesus has given to this ‘middle aged man’.  He didn’t merely verbally let me off the hook.  He took my sentence FOR ME.  He stood in my place.  His forgiveness cost Him.

Have you experienced His forgiveness?  Have you stood in awe of his grace toward you?  If you haven’t, you can pray to God right now and admit you are sinner against Him.  Thank Him for sending Jesus to die on the cross to pay for YOUR sins.  And ask Jesus to be your King!  He will rescue you from the penalty your sins deserved.  He is ready to give forgiveness to all who respond in faith by asking Him to be their savior and Lord.