forgiveness

again with the inspirational new testament class......... but seriously.

today we talked about the Parable of the Unjust Servant and forgiving others. In connection with this, we read the story of Abigail and Nabal from 1 Samuel 25. Basically, Nabal offends David and refuses to help him even after David has been helpful to Nabal. So David takes his men and his swords and goes to punish Nabal. Abigail hears what is happening and runs out to meet David with gifts. She kneels down and puts her face in the dust at David's feet and says, "Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be...forgive the trespass of thine handmaid." She is literally taking Nabal's sins upon herself, and asking David to forgive her even though she did nothing wrong.

Then we talked about Abigail as a type of Christ. Through his infinite Atonement, Jesus Christ literally took upon Himself all the sins of the world. When I stand before God to be judged, Christ will say, "Father, she wasn't perfect. But I was perfect. I suffered and died for her, so that she wouldn't have to pay the price for her mistakes. For my sake, let her into the Kingdom of Heaven. For my sake, offer her forgiveness."


I believe that when Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, He took upon Himself their sins too. Everyone's sins - not just mine. When I withhold forgiveness for something someone did to offend me, I'm not really withholding it from them - I'm withholding it from Him. From my Savior. From Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for me. How could I ever do that? When I imagine my Savior saying to me, "For my sake, won't you forgive them?" there is nothing to think about. Of course I will. There's nothing to forgive, nothing I wouldn't do for Him. It's just automatic. I love Him.

I wrote this on forgiveness last January. It's an idea I've been familiar with for a while, but today it really came back to me in a powerful way. It's too easy for me to forget. Sometimes I think that I am being forgiving, but really I'm holding on to my hurt or just saying that I forgive them when really I stay up at night reliving things and mulling over what happened to me and justifying feelings of hurt. Or I'm tempted to keep poking and prodding at issues that I could just let lie.

When I see the image in my mind of Abigail bowing before David and asking for forgiveness for something she didn't do, or when I think of Christ asking me for forgiveness for something he never did... I can hardly stand it. Of course, of course, of course I forgive you. I can't withhold my forgiveness from anyone if I truly believe in the power of Christ's Atonement to handle all the sins of the world.

So anyways.

That was my Wednesday morning. :)

xox