We’ve been hearing a lot lately at our church about forgiveness. A few weeks ago, our pastor preached on Matthew 5:43-48 on loving our enemies. I’d like to think that everyone in our church gets along and no one harbors ill will against anyone. At the same time, I realize that’s probably a fantasy. The enemy loves to sow seeds of discord in churches, organizations, and families– yours and mine.
But here’s my point: We may think our disagreement with someone, our refusal to speak to them, our ill will toward them, our refusal to let go of our offense, only affects the two of us. We may think it’s really no one else’s affair, no one else’s business. But what if our sin of unforgiveness is interfering with what God wants to do in our church/organization/family? What if our portion of the body of Christ can’t go forward until the offense has been forgiven, the wound has been healed, the relationship has been restored? None of us sin in a vacuum, and I Corinthians 12:26 says if one part of the body suffers, every part suffers.
As Pastor Nathan encouraged us to forgive our enemies and love one an other, I remembered an Old Testament incident involving Moses’ sister, Miriam. We’re told in Numbers 12 she was stricken with leprosy because she and her brother, Aaron, spoke against Moses. Aaron immediately interceded for her with Moses, and Moses interceded for her with God. God said Miriam would have to stay outside the camp for seven days.
The next verse is the one I can’t stop thinking about. “So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back“(Numbers 12:14). Not only was Miriam affected by the consequences of her sin, but no one in the Israelite camp could move on until her condition was healed. The entire group was affected.
We’re told in Mark 11:25, “If you have aught against any, forgive…” Aught means anything at all, even the smallest thing. I’m asking God to search our hearts and reveal to us if we’re holding anything against anyone, if our unwillingness to forgive is keeping the body of Christ from going forward, from growing spiritually into the image of Christ. If you want to forgive but feel something is hindering you, reach out to someone you trust and ask them to pray that the Holy Spirit will enable you to forgive.
Father, help us recognize the widespread effect of our sin of unforgiveness. Help us choose to forgive so the body of Christ isn’t hindered. Amen.
