A few weeks back, the History Channel broadcasted a documentary about how wicked the Japanese were during World War II. At that point in time, my aunt from Canada was visiting. So, there we were, Clarissa, Aunty Audrey & I, watching the gruesome program at the edge of our seats. As expected, Clarissa started to ask what torture meant, how were the Chinese tortured, how hanging could kill a person etc. Aunty Audrey did most of the explaining as accurate as she could and even added that much more barbaric actions were conducted than those documented, such as de-skinning! I could barely took in such information without shedding a tear or not feeling some resentment against the Japanese.
Fast-forward 4 weeks later, the Japanese is now facing its greatest crisis after World War II. My heart really went out to the nation, who is encountering disaster after disaster. When the earthquake first siezed the country, I told Clarissa about Japan. “I know as I have heard it from Shara (her cousin) at Boys Brigade.” She said matter-of-factly. “Don’t you feel sorry for them?” I asked feeling surprised, as she was normally more compassionate than this. “Why? They were wicked people, remember?” she replied.
I was ill-prepared for her response. I had wanted to tell her about innocent kids becoming orphans overnight as the Tsunami had swept away their parents; I wanted to highlight that many lives had perished, close to 10,000; the entire Japan is facing a crisis like never before. However, all of these tragedies were displayed during World War II except that the role was reversed. Clarissa understood the documentary on the History Channel, World War II and its implication.
I am not saying this how you should relate to your little one, but here are some of the more important dimensions of the subject -
ReplyDelete1. We have to forgive, for we have first received God’s forgiveness. The whole objective of us being given salvation is so that we grow in the likeness of Christ Jesus, and therefore, the likeness of God; ultimately the goal is to live with God in Heaven. If we are not like God, meaning we cannot see eye-to-eye with the nature and viewpoints of God, why are we to be admitted in Heaven? To irk Him, to arouse anger and wrath in Him; if we are at enmity to His very nature and outlook, how can we dwell with Him eternally in Heaven? That is why Scripture exhorted us to be holy as He is God, that is why we are to be righteous as He is righteous, that is why we are to love, as it is in His nature to love, and that is why we are to be gracious and forgive, for He, in His love and faithfulness towards Man, wants to forgive despite Him being holy (Eze 18:23). Freely, we have received freely we are to give (Matt 10:8) even when it is forgiveness.
2. We are to forgive in order to continue to receive on-going forgiveness. Matt 6:14-15 – “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” The Parable of Unmerciful Servant (Matt 18:21-35) also clearly taught the need for us to forgive others.
3. Ultimately, salvation is personal. There is the generational consequence of certain of our actions, and in that sense, not just personal, yet God is clear about personal responsibility of one’s own sins and wrong doings. That, we cannot hold it against the descendants of wicked men, the wickedness of their forefathers, was clearly spelt out for us in the Eze 18:14-20. So, even when the forefathers of the current generation of Japanese were exceedingly wicked (great atrocities they did in World Wars), we cannot hold it against the current generation of the Japanese.
4. Earthly consequences of unforgiveness. The Parable of Unmerciful Servant could be pointing to possible earthly consequence, in addition to that, of after-life. Other verses more clearly indicative of consequences in earthly living included Heb 12:15 & 2 Cor 2:10-11.
Observations from ministry work do point to the truth that resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness can be the roots of many upheavals (sickness {physical, emotional and spiritual}, etc) in one’s life.
5. We forgive people, but it does not mean that we should continue to be subject to abuse or oppression. For many of us, we cannot get over our self-imposed erroneous notion that when we forgive, we are approving what they have done and are doing. No, we can forgive without approving, and when we forgive, we are NOT approving. God forgives us when we sinned, but He does not approve what we did or are doing; similarly, we are to forgive. So, when we forgive, there is absolutely no truth to the need for us to continue to be abused or oppressed.
6. Our part is to forgive, the rest is up to our Master, He ultimately judges. In Luke 17:3-4, we read this: So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” For men, NOT to forgive, according to the Parable of Unmerciful Servant, is wickedness. God is God, let Him judge (ultimately), we do not withhold forgiveness.
7. Easier said than done, yet, we are to grow in this area. We do find it difficult, even the apostles of Jesus felt so, for we read their reply to Jesus’ calling to forgive as in Luke 17:3-4, in verse 5 - The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
And Jesus’ answer was that it is possible - He {Jesus} replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this sycamine tree {symbolically = bitterness!}, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you (v6).