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Forgiveness
by Fr. Al Jenkins
I Peter 3:8-18
Franz Liszt, Hungarian composer and pianist of the 1800's, was the inventor of the piano recital. He had perfect pitch and he was the first musician to play entirely from memory. He was to play for the Czar of Russia, Nicholas I. Nicholas made a late and grand entrance into Liszt's piano concert. Even after being seated, the czar continued to speak with members of his entourage.
Liszt realized that Nicholas had no intention of being quiet. So Liszt stopped, mid-performance, and bowed his head.
Noticing the silence, Nicholas sent one of his aides to find out why the pianist was no longer playing.
Liszt replied, "Music herself should be silent when Nicholas speaks."
After that, Liszt was able to finish his recital with the czar's full attention. He DID NOT repay insult with insult.
I Peter 3:9 says, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing ..."
The question is, "Does being kind, when someone has hurt you, bring a blessing?"
True story! For years Walter Swords frequented a diner in a small Texas town. He had a reputation for being foul-mouthed, belligerent, and picky.
Melinda Salazar described Walter as "kind of mean." She would know. For seven years, she waited on Walter when he came into the diner.
Despite his ill-temper, Salazar was always pleasant to him. She made sure his food was hot and just the way he liked it. And - she gave him a big smile with every order.
One day, it dawned on Salazar that Walter had not been in the diner for some time. She understood why when she happened upon his obituary in the newspaper.
Several months later, Melinda was informed that her customer had bequeathed her $50,000 and his new car.
Why are some people insulting, contentious, difficult, and mean?
I Peter 3:8 gives us the answer. "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."
People who hurt others lack five qualities of a Christian - harmony, sympathy, love, compassion, and humility.
I Peter 3:10-11 also tells us how to have a good life - "For whoever would love life and see good days must a) keep his tongue from evil b) keep his lips from deceitful speech … and c) turn from evil, seek peace, and do good…"
Loving life reminds me of the dying man who gathered his lawyer, doctor and priest at his bedside and handed each of them an envelope containing $25,000 in cash. He made them each promise that after his death and during his repose, they would place the three envelopes in his coffin. He told them that he wanted to have enough money to enjoy the next life and they were the ONLY three he could truly trust.
A week later the man died. At the viewing, the lawyer and doctor and priest, each concealed an envelope in the coffin and bid their old client and buddy farewell. By chance, these three met several months later for a Saturday game of golf. Soon the priest, feeling guilty, made a confession saying that there was only $10,000 in the envelope he placed in the coffin. He felt, rather than waste all the money, he would send it to the mission in Honduras. He asked for their forgiveness. The doctor, moved by the priest's sincerity, confessed that he too had kept some of the money for a worthy medical charity. The envelope, he admitted, had only $8000 in it. He said he too could not bring himself to waste the money so frivolously when it could be used to benefit others.
By this time the lawyer was seething with frustration at the priest and the doctor. He expressed his genuine and deep disappointment in the felonious behavior of two of his oldest and most trusted friends. He said, "I am the only one who kept his promise to our dying friend. I want you both to know that the envelope I placed in the coffin contained the full amount. Indeed, my envelope contained my personal check for the entire $25,000."
Did you know that honesty is at a high premium these days and God's answer is to do the right thing and do it now!
If you have offended someone, it is best to heal the situation as soon as possible.
If someone has hurt you, it is best not to do to them what they have done to you.
No pit is so deep that God is not deeper still.
No sadness is so profound that God cannot bring joy.
No forgiveness is so difficult that God cannot help.
And - no wound is so bad that God cannot heal it.
The greatest of all gifts is the gift of forgiveness!
The world teaches us to apologize. God teaches us to forgive!
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
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