One of the scariest words ever spoken by Jesus is in the Gospel of John. During one of his resurrection appearances, when he was giving final instructions to the disciples, the following event took place. ” Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'” John 20:21-23
Think of the responsibility that that places on the church in this stife torn world. One of the first ways in which the church offers the ministry of the cure of souls is in the radical ministry of forgiveness. One of the most powerful words that the church has to proclaim to the world is the word of God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness is not something that can be proclaimed only in words that come out of our mouth. Rather it has to be experienced in community. When a person who feels unacceptable is invited into a community that demonstrates love and acceptance, then that community is speaking forgiveness.
Given the pain experienced by our alienated world, what does it say about the church if we do not offer God’s forgiveness and leave people to suffer in their own sinfulness?
