Admit it… you’re singing the song.

I’ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it’s about forgiveness
FORGIVENESS
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore.
Don Henley, The Heart Of The Matter

I love me some Don Henley. Boys of Summer, All She Wants To Do Is Dance, Dirty Laundry.

I digress.

I’m not sure of Henley’s spiritual beliefs, but he pretty much nails it. Forgiveness is the heart of the matter. Is there a more Christ-like action any Christ-follower can do for, and towards, another person? Are we not most like Christ when we are forgiving?

I was talking with a pastor-friend of mine this week. He said the issue of forgiveness was at the core of so many relational problems that he dealt with as a pastor that he preached a series on forgiveness every single year. I feel the same way about The Prodigal Son story. I think it’s the single most important story that Jesus ever told, where again forgiveness emerges as… the heart of the matter.

There is no getting around the fact that as Christ-followers we are called, expected, and commanded to forgive. And the why is easy to see. Jesus forgave us. No amount of “Yeah, but…” stands in comparison to the cross. What could be said to Jesus about forgiveness? “You don’t understand?” “You don’t know what he/she/they did to me?” “The hurt is deep?” “The betrayal was so atrocious?”

But forgiveness is NOT reconciliation. It’s not condoning the action. It’s not removing the consequence. It’s not trust either.

Forgiveness is releasing the demand for the cost of the offense to be paid to you. That’s it. Not forgiving is saying you’ll pay the cost – in bitterness, anger, and hurt.

One last thing on forgiveness and trust. At the end of John 2, Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem. He’s performed some miracles. People are really gearing up to follow Jesus or push Jesus into the limelight. John tells us that while Jesus loved the people, He did not entrust Himself to them because He knew their hearts. What’s that all about?

Jesus knew the fickleness of the human heart. He knew people would have different agendas than He and the Father had. He knew ultimately that humanity could not be trusted at that point. So He held back. Didn’t change the fact that He loved humanity. Didn’t change His course to the cross. Didn’t change the fact that He was going to forgive us. Just meant – He didn’t trust…yet.

Trust would come later. After Acts 2. Giving us both the Great Commission and the power to accomplish it by placing His Spirit in us.

Does that make forgiving easier? Maybe. Maybe not.

There is no denying that forgiveness gives freedom. Freedom to move on, to grow up, to see beyond the moment of pain. Forgiveness brings life and fresh air to our souls. And we are most like Christ when we forgive.