The third Biblical word beginning with the letter “F” is forgiveness.

What you’ll discover though is that forgiveness builds on faith and fear, the other two words beginning with the letter “F,” I discussed previously.

For the sake of our reflection, I encourage you to read Luke 15, even though we will only focus on verses 11 through 32.

The three stories you come across in Luke 15 are Jesus’ response to the question the religious leaders raise,

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. Luke 15:1-2.

Of course, Jesus, throughout his public ministry, surrounded himself primarily with people no one would ever want to associate with: tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, fishermen, and all other people living on the edge of society.

His response to the above question was through the three stories he shares in the entire chapter.

 

 

God already set a plan of redemption for all humankind since the beginning

 

 

I read it through the first two stories. Read verses 1 through 10.

First, God is like this shepherd.

The story is that the shepherd leaves behind 99 sheep to go look for just one sheep. And, when he finds it, upon his return, he holds a party to celebrate the fact that he has found his lost sheep.

Jesus then says that the same happens in heaven every time there is one sinner who repents from their sin.

The second story is about a woman who turns her house upside down just to look for a coin (a piece of jewelry) she can’t find.

When she finds it, she also rejoices and celebrates, just like the shepherd.

[bctt tweet=”The two stories, in Luke 15:1-10, talk about God’s prevenient grace, which is the saving act of God made available for all human beings before we are even aware of it.” username=”emmanuelnaweji”]

God is always waiting for us and inviting us to welcome God’s forgiveness through Christ.

We all belong to God’s flock and have the kind of worth for which God chose to pay the high price of sacrificing his only begotten Son for us (John 3:16).

So, forgiveness begins with God’s plan of redemption, which is the work of God that enables us to find our way back to God and God’s presence.

 

 

Forgiveness means coming back into God’s Presence (Home)

 

 

In the story of the prodigal son, the father saw his son from a distance, according to Luke 15. It’s as if he was waiting for him every single day with the hope that the son would eventually show up. 

Even though the father, in the story, had already forgiven his son, it was up to his son to receive that forgiveness. 

The story tells us what the son did, which is part of the process of how we can experience God’s forgiveness today. 

 

 

First, the son came back to his senses. 

What that means is from his words: 

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ Luke 15:18-19. 

Coming to his senses, for him, was to acknowledge his current sinful state of being in God’s eyes and his father’s (people). 

That’s where we should start from, the place where we acknowledge we are sinners in need of our Father’s saving grace. 

It also points out that the Father’s home is the only way out of whatever situation we may be facing. 

 

 

Next, this son is not going to acknowledge that he doesn’t deserve his father’s forgiveness.

That’s humility. Forgiveness happens in a place of humility. 

 

 

Finally, you’ve got to act on the above: get up and come back home!

Here’s what happened based on the story in Luke 15,

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

That’s exactly what our heavenly Father does every time we choose to come back to Him. Whether it’s because of sin or anything else in life that may have drifted us away from God, our Father is always waiting for us at the door. 

 

 

In Conclusion

God has made God’s forgiveness already available for every human being. God waits for each one of us with the hope that someday, we will come back to our heavenly Father’s presence whenever we leave to wonder like the prodigal son. We do it by acknowledging that we are sinners in need of God’s saving grace. Freely we’ve received God’s forgiveness. So, freely, we should also forgive others, and do it every single day with God’s help.