Forgiveness Is Vertical

Best friends and bargain shopping—could life get any better? The four of us had planned this bargain bonanza for two weeks. Our goal was simple: Who could find the best bargains? May the best shopper win!

We had fought through clearance rack after clearance rack and declared a winner . . . not because anyone had won, we were just ready to eat lunch. Amy, normally the bubbly, fun-loving one, had been somewhat withdrawn most of the morning.

Our soup and salads had just arrived when Candice, the blunt one, set her fork down and looked Amy square in the eyes. “All right, go ahead and tell us what’s bothering you. It’s obvious, so let it out, girl!” Amy, somewhat stunned and now self-conscious by all of our stares said, “Oh, it’s nothing really, just something I read today in the Bible.” She paused and began tapping her finger against the edge of her water glass. “Well, tell us,” I said, waving for her to give us the scoop.

“I know I’ve read this at least a hundred times, but today it hit me square in the heart. Jesus said that when I forgive, I’m forgiven, but if I don’t forgive, I’m not forgiven.” Amy, with frustration mounting on her face, continued. “That doesn’t seem fair. I mean, my first husband,” she said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head, “you know the story. He abused me verbally and emotionally before leaving me for some college coed. Now, my question is this: Does Jesus mean that if I don’t forgive him I’m the one in trouble? Like I said, that just doesn’t seem fair. The victim condemned.”

We all sat quietly for a minute wondering what to say. Finally, Jennie broke the silence. “Jesus said that because forgiveness is vertical.” “Vertical?” quizzed Candice. “What do you mean?” Jennie continued, “Yes, vertical. We get forgiveness and trust mixed up. Someone hurts us and we think if we forgive they are somehow off the hook and we now have to act like nothing ever happened. That’s not what the Bible teaches.”

Jennie was on a roll and we were all ears. “Forgiveness is releasing ourselves from the offense and the offender and giving them over to God. Trust, however, is horizontal. People earn trust, but forgiveness is a gift.”

Our lunch was over and we were soon off for round two of the afternoon, but all of us were stirred. Forgiveness is vertical. That sounds . . . biblical.

Father, help me to offer forgiveness, knowing that to take someone off of my hook is to put him or her on Yours. I can be sure that the Judge of all the earth will do right. I trust You and want to walk in Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, amen.