Miracle of Forgiveness

Do you believe in miracles?  I do.  I have heard of many medical miracles.  Someone was healed and science could not explain the healing.  It could have been a healing from cancer, paralysis, pain, or other disease.  There are also miracles that have happened in the mission field.  God formed a hedge of protection around the missionary.  They were in harm’s way, but He protected them and got them to a safe place.  There are miracles everyday on the road ways.  It is a miracle I get to and from work safely.  And there are many miracles recorded in the Bible.  Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cast out demons, calmed the sea, and raised the dead.  But of all the miracles that have occurred, the one that I want to discuss now is the miracle of forgiveness.  I know someone personally who has experienced this miracle.

There was a boy who was about seven or eight years old who lived with his father and younger sister.  He already believed life was not fair.  He was taught this very early due to the fact that he became a motherless child about three years prior.  Because he believed life wasn't fair, he became very angry.  He wasn't sure how to express his anger, so he took it out on his sister.  He would toss her around like a rag doll, throw things at her expecting damage, and hitting her causing bruises, black eyes, jammed fingers, cuts, and stitches.  The beatings were occurring almost daily for 10 years. 

 Peter was one of the first disciples Jesus called to become fishers of men (Mark 1:16-20).  He had a very close relationship to Jesus.  He walked on water during the storm (Mathew 14:22-32), went up with Jesus to the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13), and was the first to acknowledge Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:13-20).  So when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter was angry.  So angry he tried to use the sword and cut off the ear of the priest’s servant (John 18:1-11).  Then all the disciples ran away, including Peter (Mark 14:50).

But it wasn't just the beatings that occurred.  He treated his sister as an experiment.  He did with her as he pleased.  He forced her to watch adult movies and look at adult magazines.  He then began experimenting on her. He forced her to do things only adults should know about and do.  His sister learned things she did not need nor want to learn.  He forced an adult education on a very young child.  This continued for around three years.

 Peter was waiting outside the door of the courtyard as Jesus was on trial.  I can only imagine that he wanted to know what was going on without being seen.  And “as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”  But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.” (Mark 14:66-68)

Things only got worse.  His anger grew into hatred and jealousy.  He was jealous of his little sister.  She made all A’s in school without having to study.  He was lucky to make C’s.  Her teachers bragged on her in school.  His teachers had to call home continuously.  He believed his sister had it made.  So he tried to remove the competition.  There were many times he tried to drown his sister.  But God gave her the fight she needed to survive.  He tried handcuffing her and locking her up in the tree house and leaving her for dead.  But God provided a way for her to become free.  There were many times he tried to become the only child, but his plans were always foiled. 

Instead of eliminating his sister by his actions, he began to use his words.  He would belittle his sister.  He would tell her she was ugly, fat, worthless, no good, unloved.  His words cut deeper than any sharp object he had tried to use.  He used his words so much that his sister began to believe it was true.  He cut her self-worth so low, she could barely hold onto what she had left.

Peter moved closer to the fire to stay warm.  He did not want to be recognized.  He just wanted to be there close by the trial.  As he was standing there, “the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.”But he denied it again.” (Mark 14:69-70)

 Throughout the ten years of abuse, his actions filtered outside of the house.  He was on drugs, hung out with the wrong crowd, dropped out of school, and had already been in and out of jail.  His relationship with his sister was severed.  She refused to have any contact with him.  And he is currently in prison as we speak.

 Peter was still outside the doors in the lower courtyard.  He was still trying to stay warm, when a servant of the high priest saw Peter.  This man was actually a relative of the servant Peter had cut the ear off of.  When he saw Peter, he said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed. (John 18:26).  Peter had denied his best friend three times, just as Jesus had predicted. 

But that’s not the end of the story.  The sister finally decided to write her brother after fifteen years since the last time he physically hurt her.  She not only wrote her brother, but she offered genuine forgiveness.  She told him it wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't happen overnight.  He accepted responsibility.  He offered to help her forgive him.  Almost five months after the first offer of forgiveness, my brother and I are still writing each other, I am still forgiving, and we are building a new relationship.

 Jesus had been crucified on the cross and laid in the tomb.  It was the third day and “Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.”  When they arrived at the tomb, the stone was rolled away.  As they approached the tomb, “they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.””  But go and tell the disciples.  And Peter.  Jesus said his name.  What forgiveness Jesus offered.  What grace was given to Peter.  Peter denied he even knew Jesus.  Yet Jesus forgave him and offered him grace.  Jesus gave Peter the miracle of forgiveness. (Mark 16:1-7)

Miracles still happen today.  This miracle of forgiveness is all from God.  God not only worked on my heart so I could forgive, but he also worked on my brother’s heart so he could accept the forgiveness.  God gave my brother the same forgiveness He gave to Peter.   He gave the same grace.  He worked the same miracle.  A miracle that is only possible By God’s Amazing Grace.