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ON FORGIVENESS: How Can We Forgive the Unforgivable? |
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Bishop Richard Holloway former Primus of Scotland
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Session 5 Redeeming Chaos 5 – A It was to bring some kind of order into the volatile situations created by human anger at injuries against the person that Moses created the law of proportionate response in Exodus, chapter 21. [12] Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death. [13] If it was not premeditated, but came about by an act of God, then I will appoint for you a place to which the killer may flee. [14] But if someone willfully attacks and kills another by treachery, you shall take the killer from my altar for execution. [18] When individuals quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or fist so that the injured party, though not dead, is confined to bed, [19] but recovers and walks around outside with the help of a staff, then the assailant shall be free of liability, except to pay for the loss of time, and to arrange for full recovery. [20] When a slave owner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. [21] But if the slave survives a day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner's property. [22] When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman's husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. [23] If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, [24] eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, [25] bum for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Page 68f.
5 – B One of the most outrageous things that Jesus ever attempted was to replace this sane and carefully calibrated response to injustice with a system of non‑resistance. [38] You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ [39] But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; [40] and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; [41] and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. [42] Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. [43] You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. Page 69
5 – C I wonder whether [a] clue lies in another of Jesus’ parables, found in Matthew chapter 18. [21] Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ [22] Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. [23] For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. [24] When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; [25] and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. [26] So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” [27] And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. [28] But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” [29] Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” [301 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. [31] When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. [32] Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. [33] Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?”’ Page 71f.
5 – D There is a radical reading of the parable of the prodigal son that sees within it this kind of unconditional love and forgiveness in action. We left the delinquent son in the pigsty as he made up his mind to go back to his father, confess his sins and ask to be taken on as a hired hand. The story continues: [20] So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. [21] Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ [22] But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe the best one – and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; [24] for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. [25] Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. [26] He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. [271 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ [28] Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. [29] But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. [30] But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ [31] Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. [32] But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ In this reading of the parable, the central act is the running of the father to greet the returning sinner. Page 79f.
5 – E According to this reading of the parable, his coming to his senses was no act of repentance, but a characteristically opportunistic move that was designed to save his own skin. … The pining father sees him before anyone else and runs to meet him. Page 81
5 – F It is this abandonment of code and conditionality that is the scandalous heart of the story. The son is clearly forgiven by the father before he can get a word out, and when he does produce his prepared speech there is a significant omission: ‘Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son,” full stop. There is no opportunistic plea for a job on the farm. This reading of the parable suggests that the father’s outpouring of love caused a true change in the son, so that we might say that the forgiveness that was unconditionally given actually caused the repentance that followed it. Page 82
5 – G There is a poem by Harry Smart called ‘Praise’ that captures something of the crazy mercy of such unconditional forgiveness: Praise be to God, who pities wankers and has mercy on miserable bastards. Praise be to God, who pours his blessing on reactionary warheads and racists.
For he knows what he is doing; the healthy have no need of a doctor, the sinless have no need of forgiveness. But, you say, They do not deserve it. That is the point;
that is the point. When you try to wade across the estuary at low tide, but misjudge the distance, the currents, the soft ground and are caught by the flood in deep schtuck,
then perhaps you will realise that God is to be praised for delivering dickheads from troubles they have made for themselves. Praise be to God, who forgives sinners.
Let him who is without sin throw the first headline. Let him who is without sin build the gallows, prepare the noose, say farewell to the convict with a kiss. page 83f.
5 – H When we see this kind of imperturbable grace in action it leaves us in a state beyond explanation that is close to worship. Only this is absolute forgiveness, because only this forgives the unforgivable. There are some deeds that are so monstrous they will drive us mad if we do not forgive them, because no proportional reparation is possible, no just accounting, nothing that makes any sense. Page 86
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Fr Jim Irvine Canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5 Redeeming Chaos
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