The offender is not to be kept permanently beneath the debt after turning back.
But Jesus does not add:
And until he repents, keep collecting.”
This is so important. I saw a comment just earlier on Substack where someone said repentance was still required even though they had forgiven. I wanted to say I’m sorry to inform you that I don’t think you’ve actually forgiven that person. 😅
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I pray it is helpful and a blessing. I think an important distinction is that we are told to rebuke them and to forgive. So we don’t pretend an offense didn’t occur. Either way, we forgive whether one repents or not even when they should repent. We leave that in God’s hands. ♥️
Wow! Thank you, my friend. I’m so happy you think so! May God be praised! How amazing that you would like to share it! I am not sure but maybe email or copying the link? I’m not very tech saavy. Let me know if I can help, though! Blessings!
Thank you, Gilda! This is a deep, rich and theological reflection on forgiveness. You beautifully explore in detail the wonderful, messy and complex business of forgiveness. Very inspiring and also very helpful!
Thank you, Richard! This means so much to me. Forgiveness is such a deep and complicated subject, and I really wanted to honor both the reality of the wound and the beauty of the mercy Christ gives us. I’m so glad you found it helpful.
Great article, Gilda!! The debt may be real, but we are not called to be debt-collectors and see people through a lens of debt. (Reminds me of tax collectors and how much they were hated for traitorously cheating and extorting their own countrymen. I learned recently that there are even ancient accounts of tax collectors who beat up old women to find out their loved ones’ whereabouts so as to collect the taxes! They were like ICE! No wonder people hated them! ) And I loved your thoughts on the roots and the tree being uprooted and thrown into the sea so that that the soil can grow good things (like the fruit of the Spirit)!
Thank you! I’m so glad the debt and collector language resonated with you. And I’m especially glad you mentioned the tree. The more I sat with Jesus’ own image there—the deeply rooted tree being uprooted and removed—the more it opened the passage for me. I love that He doesn’t leave our attention on what needs to be uprooted, either. There is still a field, and there are still good things God desires to grow there. Thank you for reading so thoughtfully! ❤️
Wonderful read!
“Repentance must be met with forgiveness.
The offender is not to be kept permanently beneath the debt after turning back.
But Jesus does not add:
And until he repents, keep collecting.”
This is so important. I saw a comment just earlier on Substack where someone said repentance was still required even though they had forgiven. I wanted to say I’m sorry to inform you that I don’t think you’ve actually forgiven that person. 😅
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I pray it is helpful and a blessing. I think an important distinction is that we are told to rebuke them and to forgive. So we don’t pretend an offense didn’t occur. Either way, we forgive whether one repents or not even when they should repent. We leave that in God’s hands. ♥️
This was wonderful, Gilda! So beautiful!
Thank you, my friend! I’m so happy you enjoyed this piece! Blessings ♥️
Thank you for these words. I’ll be returning to them again, and likely even again. ❤️
You’re so welcome. Thank you for sharing how they touched you. It is such a blessing to know. God is so good.
This was SO well done Gilda! I’m trying to figure out the best way to share it with my mother-in-law who I think it might really bless.
Wow! Thank you, my friend. I’m so happy you think so! May God be praised! How amazing that you would like to share it! I am not sure but maybe email or copying the link? I’m not very tech saavy. Let me know if I can help, though! Blessings!
Thank you, Gilda! This is a deep, rich and theological reflection on forgiveness. You beautifully explore in detail the wonderful, messy and complex business of forgiveness. Very inspiring and also very helpful!
Thank you, Richard! This means so much to me. Forgiveness is such a deep and complicated subject, and I really wanted to honor both the reality of the wound and the beauty of the mercy Christ gives us. I’m so glad you found it helpful.
Great article, Gilda!! The debt may be real, but we are not called to be debt-collectors and see people through a lens of debt. (Reminds me of tax collectors and how much they were hated for traitorously cheating and extorting their own countrymen. I learned recently that there are even ancient accounts of tax collectors who beat up old women to find out their loved ones’ whereabouts so as to collect the taxes! They were like ICE! No wonder people hated them! ) And I loved your thoughts on the roots and the tree being uprooted and thrown into the sea so that that the soil can grow good things (like the fruit of the Spirit)!
Thank you! I’m so glad the debt and collector language resonated with you. And I’m especially glad you mentioned the tree. The more I sat with Jesus’ own image there—the deeply rooted tree being uprooted and removed—the more it opened the passage for me. I love that He doesn’t leave our attention on what needs to be uprooted, either. There is still a field, and there are still good things God desires to grow there. Thank you for reading so thoughtfully! ❤️