We know that forgiveness is a wonderful experience both for the one who forgives and the one who is forgiven. It is easy to talk about it but it is one of the hardest tasks we are ever called upon to undertake. It can be too painful and sometimes our pride and sense of status intrudes as we remember what was said or done to us in the past. Forgiveness requires humility and sometimes we need to cry out to the Lord in prayer for His help in forgiving those who have hurt us in some way.
We know that the Japanese invaded the Korean Peninsula before the Second World War and inflicted terrible atrocities on the Korean people. Awful things were done to the local population in the name of Japanese imperialism. After the war when the Japanese had surrendered and retreated from the peninsula many Koreans continued to remember the dreadful things that had been inflicted on them personally and on their family and friends and harboured hatred and bitterness in their hearts towards the Japanese nation.
Paul Cho was one of those people. He was a church minister and was a very good speaker but he knew the bitterness of heart towards the long standing enemy. Surprisingly he was invited to speak to a conference of ministers in Japan. He arrived and was introduced and got up to speak. He attempted to say some nice things about Japan but found it impossible to find any such words. With head bowed he began to weep at his failure and his hardness of heart. A deep silence descended on the audience and it was so intense that he felt it. He looked up and all he could say was exactly how he felt.
His words were utterly incredible and absolutely honest as he said, “I must confess that I hate you all. I don’t hate you personally, but I hate the fact that you are Japanese. I know that is wrong, but this is the way I honestly feel. Won’t you please forgive me? I am repenting of my sin and ask you to pray for me.” At that he bowed his head and the emotion overwhelmed him and he began to cry out loud.
After a while he looked up and every minister in the room was weeping. After a few minutes one of the Japanese ministers stood and said, “Dr. Cho, we as Japanese take full responsibility for the sins of our fathers. Will you please forgive us?” Dr. Cho came down from the platform and moved towards the man who had spoken and threw his arms around him and said, “Yes I forgive you and I commit myself to pray for you and Japan.” At that moment he said that he instantly felt healed of all bitterness that he had felt since a child. He was free.
To truly forgive is to walk in the footsteps of our Saviour who is willing to forgive us if we are ready to trust Him. Someone once wrote, “A Christian will find it cheaper to pardon than to resent. Forgiveness saves us the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.” To allow bitter and resentful feelings to dominate our thoughts, feelings and reactions is to find ourselves in a prison, bound and restricted and far from being happy. To let go and pursue, with God’s help, true forgiveness to others is not only wisdom but leads to joy, satisfaction and deep personal contentment. It was the atheist philosopher Bertram Russell who stated that though forgiveness is not a specific Christian virtue he knew of no other religion that totally embraces the concept of forgiveness. God forgives those who come to Christ in faith and those who are forgiven are willing to forgive, even if at times it is very difficult to do so. May we experience forgiveness from God and be forgiving to others.
Key Bible Passage
Acts 13:32-39
And we proclaim to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ But that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and FAITHFUL lovingkindnesses OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT GIVE YOUR HOLY ONE OVER TO SEE CORRUPTION.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his fathers and saw corruption; but He whom God raised did not see corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and that in Him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which you could not be justified from through the Law of Moses.
DAILY MESSAGES WITH MEANING (15/01/26)
Written by PAUL YOUNG
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