Like an adult child who has gone one step too far…threatening the family with violence one too many times…failing to trust in the love that was offered them in their own home for the millionth time, the Israelites were finally kicked out of their home, out of their land, and were sent to live and fend for themselves in Babylon.
They had forgotten to trust in their heavenly parent, the head of the household: God. They chose to live by their own rules, refusing to acknowledge the rules of their own home. They prayed to other gods. They set up altars and temples to other gods. They did not love God. On top of that, the Bible says that since they forgot to love God, they also forgot to love those whom God loves: their neighbors. They forgot to “seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). In other words, they did not remember the most important rules of God’s house: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Nor did they remember: You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18). Because, they forgot to love their parent and forgot to love their siblings, the people of God were kicked out of their home…their land…and were sent to live in a foreign land. Failing to love has consequences.
That reminds me of a story
that Jesus once told. Briefly, it goes
something like this: there once was a son who decided that he did not need his
family any longer. So, he asked his dad
for his share of his inheritance. Asking
for your inheritance when your parent is still alive, by the way, pretty much
means that you wish that your parent was dead.
The father gave his son the money anyway, because he loved his son, and
the son left the home to go live in a foreign land.
The son sent himself into exile. Sometimes we do that. Sometimes we leave those who love us for selfish reasons, thereby kicking ourselves out of our own homes and out of our loving relationships.
You know how the story goes, the son squanders all of the money, ends up absolutely broke and hungry, and then devises this plan to get back into his father’s good graces so that he can eat and live.
But, the son did not need to devise any sort of plan at all because as he made his way back home, and before he even stepped foot on the property, his father was already running toward him, embracing him, and showering him with love.
And, this is what God’s forgiveness is like. It is a forgiveness that is showered on you before you even have a chance to get a word out. It is forgiveness that is given to you because God loves you, not because you did something to deserve it. It is an unconditional forgiveness that we read about in Isaiah, where God seeks to bring the people back home, even though they have in no way proven that they deserve it.
God says to his people in Isaiah 43:23-25:
23You
have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your
sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you with
frankincense. 24You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me
with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you
have wearied me with your iniquities. 25I, I am
He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember
your sins.
Did you catch God’s unconditional forgiveness in that last line? First God lists all of the things that the people failed to do to get back in God’s good grace, but in spite of that God says, “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” God chooses to completely forget the people’s sins…to completely wipe their wrong doing out of God’s mind…because God wants to. God chooses to do it because God loves them. That is the only reason.
Sometimes, forgiveness is like that. Sometimes, we forgive because we simply need to forgive, not because the other person deserves it, not because they have done anything to make it up to us. Sometimes we forgive out of love, just as God does.
It is the same sort of unconditional forgiveness that we see in Jesus Christ on the cross as he died not for the sins of those who feel really, really bad, but died for the sins of the world.
God’s love is unconditional. God’s forgiveness is not earned. God’s forgiveness is what saves us and transforms our lives.
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