It may seem strange to link the business word “economy” with the spiritual concept of forgiveness. Economy is rightly connected to profit and loss. A nation’s economy, the value of its output, is defined as vibrant and strong or weak and depressed. When the economic picture is strong, businesses are producing, people are working, and the valuation of worth is increasing. The opposites are true when an economy is struggling or weak. So, what does economy have to do with forgiveness?
There is an economy in forgiveness. Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:36–38, NASB95) Both mercy and pardon are words of forgiveness.
To pardon, show mercy, and being forgiving don’t seem very profitable. Exercising forgiveness means giving up something. We give forgiveness and mercy without expectation of return. That isn’t good business. And yet Jesus is saying that as we give mercy, pardon, and forgiveness, even more will be returned to us. The thing is, we don’t know the when, how, or what that return poured into our laps will be.
There is also another side to the economy of forgiveness, which we alluded to in our previous article. Essentially, it also deals with outcomes. Both the Bible and our experiences tell us that hatred destroys. Sometimes that destruction comes in obvious ways, but it can also come in stealth. Either way, hatred always destroys. Love, on the other hand, always builds up. Hatred requires unforgiveness and often bitterness. It can’t survive without it. Love, on the other hand, thrives in forgiveness.
To be honest, as I read the news each morning and watch it in the evening, I see much more hate and unforgiveness than I do love and forgiveness. This is an observation and not a judgment. In response, some folks have taken up the call of social justice to fix the wrongs. There’s room for that in the Gospel. But for me, I’m not so much a social justice warrior as I am a social forgiveness warrior. For instance, I don’t see reparations as healing the wounds of the past since healing only comes through forgiveness and reconciliation. That is the economy of the Gospel. Jesus sacrificed himself for our forgiveness and to reconcile us with God. That is the real “fix” for hatred, division, and injustice.
The more forgiveness and love we pour out, the more forgiveness and love will be poured in, pressed down, shaken together, and running over in our lives.
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