Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
Message: A Condition for Forgiveness
Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.
What the Lord is Saying:
Preface - Jesus and the disciples have come into Jerusalem in the morning, and it appears this is the 3rd day since they embarked on their entry into Jerusalem from Bethany and the Mount of Olives, as Jesus comes to die. Previously, he went to a fig tree seeking fruit from it because of seeing leaves, but found no fruit. It had the appearance of fruit and with that appearance is the expectation that the tree is following through on being a fruitful tree. Instead Jesus cursed it. A similar thing happened when he came upon the temple. There he saw the priests and scribes hustling people by turning the temple into a business or sort of market to sell things to people. The outcry by Jesus was inferring that they had missed their calling to reach all people, that includes the Gentiles. The priests and scribes didn't like this - they feared Jesus. Jesus left. The disciples and Jesus the next day come into Jerusalem again and see the fig tree and after Peter states that it is indeed withered, Jesus tells him and the disciples that they must have faith in God for God to act, for God to move mountains, for God to answer prayers.
After this, Jesus will now make another remark about praying and specifically the idea of forgiveness. Up to this point, in Mark's gospel the idea of forgiveness has been mentioned few times.
- Mark 3:28-30 - Jesus spoke of all sins being forgiven except for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
- Mark 2:1-12 - A key passage about forgiveness. Jesus has come upon a paralytic and in front of the Jewish counsel he first forgives the man's sin and then heals him of his paralysis. Jesus provides forgiveness to this man, the thing he needs the most, more than healing of his paralysis. Forgiveness occurred in response to the people who brought him and lowered him down to Jesus from the roof. Faith first, then forgiveness.
Jesus remarks - Whenever you stand praying, forgive. Standing is simply their normal posture when praying. Jesus says, when you pray - forgive. Not when you pray, seek forgiveness. Jesus continually put forth a 'serving other people' idea. I'm not sure I completely recognize the significance of this message from Jesus and that -- it is the way I conduct myself with other people. Jesus came to save the lost - he came to redeem people - he came to serve them. I am asked to do the same - serve others. God saves, I serve. Yet, much of life is spent not on service, but acquisition. Even in my bible study, my desire is often to better my own understanding. Jesus has just spoken of prayer and getting answers to prayer, moving mountains, and getting what we want. And now Jesus more specifically says that with that praying is forgiveness - forgiving others.
If Jesus says we must forgive, then it must be clear that people are doing things toward us that we do not like - that hurt us - sin against us. And our response to them is forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a concept I understand, but the way I conduct myself is often not showing forgiveness. I get angry when people don't meet my expectations. If anything, I belittle them or ridicule them, sometimes behind their backs. I poke fun at them. Work is often a source of these types of situations. We all have jobs to do, tasks to accomplish and when they are not accomplished in the right way, I am often critical of this. But, do I take a moment and say in prayer "I forgive." I don't hold a grudge. Jesus commands - forgive, if you have anything against anyone. Anything.
I think of a friend in his marriage and the anger that he and his wife often display toward one another, for not getting what they want, for the other person not meeting their expectation and here Jesus says, forgive, if you have anything against anyone. I don't think we get this concept, this idea. In a way, it is so simple - it is too simple. But it is so powerful. In some ways it is a daily habit. I just see so often I first complain, then justify, then seek from other people agreement to my complaint and in unison we agree it was wrong and with that agreement I walk off satisfied. Ha! It's horrible. All that I have done is help other people sin as well. It's horrible. But, forgive, if you have anything against anyone.
And Jesus says - so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. Forgiveness is something we do to be forgiven. Jesus says, "Have faith in God, then forgive others." So there Jesus is saying - you want to be forgiven? You want something for yourself? Then first do something for someone else. For me to really understand what it forgiveness means, I need to forgive others. Don't hold a grudge. Don't gang up on another person. Don't walk around with a critical attitude toward that person. Don't try to get other people on board with my way of thinking toward that person. No, instead I need to forgive first.
Summary - Jesus, after telling his disciples that faith is the key to our prayers being answered, tells them also that they need to forgive others. Receiving forgiveness from God happens when we forgive others for then we really understand what forgiveness means.
Promise: God is most concerned with my heart, and my forgiving hearts indicates to Him that I have seen my sin and I am truly casting myself on the Lord's mercy.
Prayer: Lord, change me. Make me new. Make me different than I am. Right now Lord I run to others when someone has hurt me or sinned against me. I complain. I try to get others to agree with me. And once I get that agreement I feel satisfied. Lord, I need to listen to what you are saying to me and forgive. Forgive first. I want to have faith in you and forgive others. Change my ways Lord.
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