Luke 6:37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven: I. FORGIVENESS IS POSSIBLE. TO deem it impossible to forgive your offender is — 1. A fatal self-delusion. There have always been men who considered revenge a base passion, and have readily forgiven the greatest offences. Such men have been(1) amongst the Gentiles. Phocion, a prominent citizen in Greece, had been sentenced by his fellow-citizens to drink the cup of poison. Before tasting it, he said to his son, "This is my last will, O son, that thou mayest soon forget this cup of poison, and never take revenge for it."(2) Amongst the Jews: Joseph, David. (3) Amongst the Christians: Stephen. "Verily, I forgive thee, and thou shalt be my brother in place of him whom thou hast killed," said the Christian knight, John Gualbert, to the murderer of his brother, who, unarmed as he was, begged for his life in the name of the Crucified. If to them it was possible to forgive, why should it not be possible to you? 2. A blasphemy. God requires you to forgive your offender, and has a right to do so. (1) As our Lord. (2) As our Father and Benefactor. The best proof of our gratitude. (3) As our Model. (4) As our Judge. II. FORGIVENESS IS NECESSARY. 1. Reason teaches it. (1) Noble and generous is the conduct of him who is ready for reconciliation. He manifests strength of mind and magnanimity of soul by forgiving the offence inflicted. He overcomes evil by good. (2) Dreadful are the consequences of implacability. Man is easily offended. If men were not ready to forgive, where would you find peace and happiness? Would not our life upon earth and the society of our fellow-men be a continual source of unhappiness and misery? 2. Revelation requires it (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:38-48; Matthew 6:12; Romans 12:19-21; Ephesians 4:26; Colossians 3:13). III. FORGIVENESS IS LAUDABLE AND MERITORIOUS. 1. By forgiving the offences committed against you, you gain(1) the favour of men (Romans 12:20). (2) The complacency of God (Matthew 6:14). 2. He who is not willing to forgive those who have offended him, sins(1) against God the Father by trespassing one of His commandments (James 2:13). (2) Against God the Son. He denies Him because he denies the characteristic feature and virtue of Christianity (John 13:35). (3) Against God the Holy Ghost, who is the Spirit of love. (4) Against his fellow-man. (5) Against himself. He pronounces the sentence of condemnation upon his own head whenever he uses the Lord's Prayer (Luke 19:22). Grant us then, O Lord, a heart always ready for reconciliation, that in us Thy Word may be fulfilled (Matthew 5:9). (Bourduloue.) Parallel Verses KJV: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: |
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