Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Five
Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe
that you have received it, and it will be yours.
The three
preceding examples define forgiveness. In legal terms, society forgives any
criminal when he receives pardon, which is a binding and irreversible act
whereby the legal system relinquishes its right to retribution. It is as if the
offense never occurred. Biblically, forgiveness releases offenders from the
debt of sinful and hurtful actions. Forgiveness follows the Heavenly Father’s
example in extending pardon and mercy to humankind through the atoning
sacrifice of Christ. God’s covenantal love for us is the basis of His
forgiveness. Accordingly, the Lord requires disciples to extend forgiveness to
receive it. This nonnegotiable command is poignantly evident in “The Parable of
the Unforgiving Servant.” (Matthew 18:21-35) This man mercifully evades a
considerable debt of ten thousand talents; currently equating with thousands,
tens or hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of dollars depending upon
calculation for inflation and exchange rates. Incredulously, this same servant
refuses to forgive a miniscule debt of hundreds of dollars owed to him from
another servant who faced hardships. Furious at this act of ingratitude, the
master of the unforgiving servant
reestablishes the debt and orders the imprisonment of this ungrateful man until
he can remit the debt. This story teaches the divine imperative of reciprocity
in giving and receiving forgiveness. Summarily, to forgive means to renounce
righteous indignation, surrender rights to punishment and retribution and
release of revenge and similar ideas and emotions to God for His perfect
judgment and adjudication. More significantly, forgiveness requires disciples
to permanently and irrevocably forgive anyone who harms them.
A few
pragmatic matters relating to forgiveness are noticeable. First, it may take a
long time to fully forgive someone. Jesus tells Peter that he is to forgive someone
as many times as necessary to complete the process of grace, mercy, resolution
and possibly reconciliation. A process of twenty years unfolds within Esau’s
mind and heart to yield his forgiveness to Jacob. In that time, Esau obtained
discernment, grace, wisdom and renewal of love through a vibrant relationship
with Almighty God. His immeasurable wealth and blessings indicate that he
processed his anger and resentment. Eventually Esau acknowledges his role in
Jacob’s deceitful schemes, and he realizes that his is not lacking anything
given God’s bountiful blessings and provision. Even without the birthright and
Isaac’s blessings, Esau enjoys an abundance of riches and quality of life. God
mysteriously and majestically redeems Esau’s loss.
Second,
disciples forgive people for their incapacities of character inclusive of
lacking morals, ethics and ability to make just choices. “Bad” and
dysfunctional parents probably were incapable of being “good” and responsible
parents. An infinite amount of pain and injury lingers in the hearts and minds
of countless people who live with unresolved childhood trauma and unhealed
disappointments. Hurtful words said by busy, indifferent and misguided parents
were determinative as some people believed them and allowed those words to
impede their progress in life. Irresponsible and immature parents failed to
provide adequately, tolerated poverty and allowed hunger, cold, extreme need
and public humiliation. They did not exemplify the love, faithfulness and
provision that we expect of loving and dutiful parents. Incapacities of
character derail ambitions to attend college, disrupt entrepreneurial plans or
otherwise negatively affect a person’s quest to seek a higher quality of life.
To liberate themselves from the just and understandable anger and bitterness
that a person would feel, disciples genuinely rely upon God’s presence and
empowerment to learn how to forgive their parents and their parents’
incapacities.
Forgiveness
may or may not achieve reconciliation. Your forgiveness of a perpetrator does
not necessitate that you maintain a relationship with that person. Practically,
you do not have to adhere to religious traditions and superstitions that
suggest resolving painful relational experiences always end with each side
saying “Sorry” as if they were children on a grade school playground. We live
in an adult world. There are experiences that are so hurtful, disillusioning,
disappointing and disrespectful that victims always fear that they will suffer
repeated injuries and abuse if they maintain communication. I am aware of a
woman who divorced her husband whom she deeply and unquestionably loved. She
did so after years of contending with domestic violence inclusive of physical,
emotional and psychological abuse. She ceased to count and recall the myriad
hurtful, insulting and damaging words he said. In time, he matured having
healed from his childhood pain and trauma that fueled his internal volcanic
anger that spewed lava all over their relationship. He admirably and humbly
asked for her forgiveness. She graciously and sincerely forgave him. However,
she was unable to accede to his deeply emotional and solicitous requests for
reconciliation and remarriage. He had simply hurt her heart so thoroughly that
she could not entrust her heart to him again. She feared, notwithstanding his
claims to the contrary, that he would hurt again. She would not enjoy any peace
or security in their relationship. Silently and assuredly, she would wait for
the inevitable next barrage of hurtful words.
In the
twenty-sixth verse, the evangelist emphasizes the conjunction, neither. He
reiterates God’s firm demand that disciples give forgiveness if they wish to
receive it from Him. The conjunction negates what precedes and succeeds it.
Interestingly, it facilitates both sides of the sentence. It reveals the larger
requirements of “The Great Commandment” (Matthew 22:34-40) Love of God in turn
necessitates love of others. “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Applying the
principles of this two-fold commandment practically means forgiving in others
the shortcomings that a disciple can so easily forgive within himself. God’s
love demands that disciples share with each other the compassion that they
harbor for themselves. Growing understanding of God’s love for each disciple equips
them to forgive each other.
This often-quoted
passage teaches us that faith in God encompasses more than a sincere request for
God’s favor to increase financial gain, acquire material possession or receive miraculous
healing. Having faith in God entails removing
doubt, believing wholeheartedly in whatever you ask of Him, willingness to
speak your desires aloud and unconditional belief in God’s ability to do
whatever you ask in accordance with His sovereign will. It is important to remember
that you offer your requests to a holy God who is the perfect manifestation of
love. As He loves humankind and gave His “One and Only Begotten Son” as a sacrifice
to demonstrate His covenantal, faithful and unfailing love, He requires anyone
who knows His love to share it with everyone else. Practically, disciples as
recipients of God’s loving forgiveness in turn logically and liberally extend
the same compassion and consideration to all members of the human family. This verse
and its context instructs us about the comprehensive nature of faith in God which
includes relational dimensions of a disciple’s fellowship with God and
connection with his brothers and sisters in the global village.
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