Forgiveness Formula

Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ

What a Waste! – The Mathematics of Jesus

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(Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-8)

what a waste the mathematics of jesus picHave you ever watched someone waste something worth a lot of money? That’s what seems to be happening on this evening when Jesus is chillin’ with some locals over dinner. Almost out of nowhere, this woman comes up to Jesus and begins pouring at least a pint of really expensive perfume over Jesus’ head and feet.

In case you forgot, a pint = sixteen ounces. Have you bought perfume or cologne lately? You practically have to open your Swiss bank account just to smell good! After you’ve made this costly purchase (usually over $50) you’re left standing there with a little glass bottle holding no more than one to two ounces if you’re lucky. Picture this woman dumping sixteen or more of those little glass bottles all over Jesus’ feet. How many lawns would a person have to mow to make that amount of cash?

Even those closest to Jesus denounced this as an act of irresponsibility. A squandering of over a year’s wages according to others. Some even argued the perfume could have been sold in order to help the poor (ah, the classic guilt trip). And Jesus? What’s his take? He praises her! He has nothing but praise for this woman’s reckless extravagance. Pure and utter wastefulness and Jesus eats it up! What kind of math is that Jesus?

One thing’s for sure: Jesus smelled really good for a really long time.

 

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Excerpt from “Forgiveness Formula:  Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ” by CJ and Shelley Hitz

Jesus Says 1 = 99: The Mathematics of Jesus

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(Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:3-7)

Jesus Says 1=99Yes, you read that one correctly. Jesus shares this parable about a crazy shepherd who owns 100 sheep and loses one of them. This shepherd leaves the 99 he still has in order to go out looking for the one that strays away, thus risking the loss of other sheep. Sure doesn’t sound like good business to me.

I mean, come on, it’s one measly sheep. Doesn’t add up. We might even call it baaaaad math.

Jesus finishes the story with a happy ending as the shepherd indeed finds the lost little lamb (now feeling a bit sheepish) and returns home ready to throw a party with friends and neighbors in order to celebrate this “great find.” Personally, I wonder if the guy throws the party to also celebrate the other 99 who didn’t fly the coop while he was away on this hide and seek adventure.

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Excerpt from “Forgiveness Formula:  Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ” by CJ Hitz.

When Crap Hits the Fan

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amanda knox imageToday, all eyes in the news world were on the murder trial verdict for Amanda Knox. Knox was one of three people accused of brutally murdering fellow student Meredith Kercher over four years ago in Perugia, Italy. Knox, 24, has spent the past four years in an Italian prison and faced the prospect of a life sentence depending on today’s appeals court ruling.

Amazingly, Knox and her ex-boyfriend were acquitted of all charges after the case was thrown out. Though there were cheers in the Knox corner, those in the Kercher corner remain somber as they continue to deal with the senseless loss of their beloved Meredith.

At times, forgiveness seems in short supply. Words of comfort are far and few between.

The following excerpt is an attempt to answer (in part) some of the bad things that occur in life. It comes from my new Fuel For The Soul 21 day devotional e-book…

When Crap Hits The Fan

This was the subject with some young men I used to meet with every Tuesday evening around a table at a local restaurant. I asked them questions like, “What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you in the last week?”, “What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you?”, “Why do bad things happen?”, “Why doesn’t God prevent bad things from happening?”, “Have you ever been angry at God…if so, why?”

There were varied answers but there was definitely one thing we all had in common…
We all agreed that crap has hit the fan more than once in our lives.

I would bet my 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card (if I had one) that the same is true in your life. Reminds me of that old bumper sticker that read “Sh** Happens!” Every time we turn on the evening news, open a newspaper, log onto the internet, we see headlines informing us of the most up-to-date crap happening around the globe (you can count on CNN baby!). Things like, “EARTHQUAKE IN IRAN: DEATH TOLL UP TO 50,000” or “8 SOLDIERS KILLED IN AMBUSH” or “SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 14 IN JERUSALEM.” We don’t even need to turn on CNN to know there are bad things happening-sometimes it hits too close to home…one young man in our group shared how his 28 year-old cousin got his head cut off with a machete by a man who owed him $1200. Why?

Why do good folks get cancer? Why do innocent people get murdered? Why do planes crash into buildings? Why do dads die of heart attacks at 43 years of age? Why do 14 year-old girls get raped? Why do 45,000 children around the world die every single day of hunger? Why, why, why? If I had the answers to those questions, I would probably have a televised program carried around the world via satellite but I don’t. Nobody does.

And yet why do we attempt to have all the answers to these questions? It cracks me up when I hear the bumper sticker theological answers like, “The Lord knows best.” Or, “Your brother’s happier now because he’s worshiping at the throne of God.” Or, “It’s all part of God’s plan.” Or, “God needed a flower for his garden.” Many of us have no doubt heard those types of “encouragements” during those difficult times. Or perhaps we’ve even been on the “encourager” side of the fence.

Let’s face it, there will never be easy answers for the bad stuff happening around the world, but I think Jesus sheds some light on the subject for us in the story of the wheat and weeds (Matthew 13:24-30). In this story, Jesus describes this farmer who plants good seed in his field but an enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat while everyone was sleeping. The next day, the farmer’s servants told him about the weeds they saw, not knowing who did it. Here’s what the farmer said…

“An enemy has done it!”

There’s the light that Jesus sheds for us. There is an ‘enemy’ (Satan) at work even while the ‘farmer’ (Jesus) is at work. It’s a Great Competition for ownership of the field. Bad stuff and good stuff. But why doesn’t God just step in and stop this competition?
Since the beginning of the world, God set this thing called “Free Will” in place and that means the ‘enemy’ gets to run loose while we humans get to choose who we’ll follow.

Someday (only God knows when) God will sort everything out (Matthew 13:40-43). The competition will be finished and we probably won’t even care about “why” something happened. The ‘enemy’ will finally be dealt with and…

We’ll just be happy we knew the Farmer and served on his farm.

Fuel For The Soul can be purchased by going to http://amzn.to/fueldevo

ABC Is Now Serving…Revenge

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“Hamlet, Medea, Captain Ahab, Charles Bronson.  The icons of vengeance teach us that for the truly wronged, real satisfaction can only be found in one of two places:  absolute forgiveness or mortal vindication.  This is not a story about forgiveness.”

Well, at least you know what you’re getting even before the first episode.  That’s a quote from a trailer for ABC’s Premier of Revenge, which begins September 21st at 10/9c.  Not having a TV, Shelley & I saw the trailer in an online ad and it definitely grabbed our attention.  Here’s a description we found on Amazon…

Emily Thorne is the newest arrival in the Hamptons this summer. By all appearances, she’s a friendly and sophisticated “girl next door,” whose disarming charm and generosity allow her seamless access to the restricted circles of Hampton‘s high society. But the affluent, exclusive world she’s immersed herself in is tied to a dark family history, and Emily Thorne is anything but what she seems. When Emily was just nine, her father was framed for a horrific crime by neighbors he trusted, and was sentenced to life in prison. Emily never saw her father again and spent her childhood consumed by rage, loss and betrayal. 17 years later, she has returned under an assumed identity with one endgame – REVENGE — every social overture a carefully planned chip at the foundation of her sworn enemies, until their lives come crashing down around them. Emily’s goal is unwavering, and her sharp mind is always five steps ahead. But when her past begins to catch up, her true heart may get caught in the crossfire.

After reading this, you can’t help but sympathize with Emily and her loss.  Though each of our stories is unique, we can all identify with painful things we’ve experienced.  Live enough years and the painful experiences begin to pile up.  For some, it might be a close friend or family member who was murdered.  For others, it may be that they were sexually abused.  Someone else may have been the victim of slander or gossip.  The list is endless.

As the show trailer implies, it really does boil down to two responses to these painful experiences that occur in each of our lives…

Revenge or Forgiveness

What’s disturbing about a show like this is its focus on revenge as the main theme.  Those who partake of this hour of sweet vindication will no doubt be left with a bitter aftertaste as the closing credits for each episode roll.  After all, the fruit of revenge is always bitterness, no matter how it’s served.  And what is bitterness?  As one person put it, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting it to hurt the other person.”

Watching a show like Revenge will only leave a person craving something that can never satisfy.  People who choose revenge in this world are a dime a dozen. Those who choose to forgive from the heart are rare.  Alexander Pope said it well, “To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

I’ll close by attempting to leave you with a divine taste in your mouth.  Here’s an incredible story of forgiveness we recently came across…

 

Read Other True Stories of Forgiveness Here