Matthew 18 -- Humility, Honesty, and Forgiveness

Jesus taught a lot about humility, honesty, and forgiveness in this chapter:

 

“True humility means knowing yourself, accepting yourself, and being yourself – your best self – to the glory of God … Humility begins with self-evaluation, and it continues with self-denial,” my commentary said.  “It’s a grace that, when you know you have it, you’ve lost it.”

 

Honesty comes not just with others but with ourselves as well.  David had prayed to be delivered from secret faults – “faults that are even hidden from my own eyes” is what that means, according to my commentary.  When conflict with another believer occurs, we need to be honest not only with them about it, but with ourselves, asking how we might have contributed to the problem.

 

Finally, Jesus discussed forgiveness.  Although we might not want to forgive others, it is for our ultimate good when we do.  “The world’s worst prison is the prison of the unforgiving heart.  If we refuse to forgive others, then we are only imprisoning ourselves and causing our own torment,” my commentary added.

 

It also said that many of us have received forgiveness, but we have not really experienced  forgiveness deep in our hearts.  That then makes us unable to share forgiveness with others who have wronged us.  Jesus told Peter to forget keeping count – to just practice forgiveness and forget the measuring rod.

 

The three traits tie together in this way:  “When our hearts are humble and repentant, we will gladly forgive our brothers.  But where there is pride and a desire for revenge, there can be no true repentance, and this means God cannot forgive … It’s not enough to receive God’s forgiveness or even the forgiveness of others.  We must experience that forgiveness in our hearts so that it humbles us and makes us gentle and forgiving toward others. 

 

I heard a song this morning that echoed all of this:  “You refuse forgiveness, like it’s something to be earned …”  It’s grace, and that is always unearned and unearnable.

 

Father, examine my humility and my honesty and show me where I fall short.  Help me to accept your loving forgiveness and the forgiveness of others, and lead me to always be forgiving.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford