Janita Krayniak

When we hear the word scandalous, our minds tend to race to risque situations, of shady things that may cause our gentile, sophisticated selves to blush or become embarrassed by the sensitive nature of the topic. But what if I said that forgiveness was scandalous?

The three churches I am pastoring in Powell and Lovell have been working through a book this Lenten season by Philip Yancey called the “Scandal of Forgiveness.” Yancey has dealt with some of the basics concepts of forgiveness, but he has also really delved into the depths of what forgiveness is, what it is not and just how it is that we come to forgive, as well as how we come to be forgiven.

As we dug deeper into the scriptures, we found passage after passage dealing with God’s grace and forgiveness. Example after example of how God chooses time and time again, to forgive our shortcomings and sins — all found in the pages of the Holy Scripture. It is also in the scriptures where we are called to live into the example set through Christ, and this is challenged where Peter asks Jesus how many times he needs to forgive others. Peter offers a nice number: He says, how about I forgive a person seven times? But Jesus responds, (and I am paraphrasing here), “Oh no, Peter, you are not supposed to forgive just seven times, but 70 times seven!”

Can you imagine what must have been going through Peter’s head? What did you say? How many times? You mean I have to forgive others? I know these questions have crossed my mind when I have been trying to forgive!

How can we forgive, truly forgive those who have done what we deem as unforgivable? Can we forgive?

In Luke Chapter 13, there is a parable of an unproductive fig tree. There had been no fruit on it for three years (typically fruit appears in two years for fig trees, according to my limited research into this topic). The question that is asked regarding this tree: should it be cut down or tended to, one more year? However, the part of this parable that is so often glanced over is the scripture that leads into it. The writer of Luke shares two examples of groups who have sinned and point blank asks if their sin is greater than any other. The answer was a resounding, no! In Romans Chapter 3 we are all lumped together as sinners where the scripture says,“for all have sinned and fallen short,” but can we admit our sins are no greater or worse than any other person’s sins?

Returning to the scripture in Luke, the gardener offers to dig around and tend to the roots, placing manure/nourishment in the soil surrounding those roots, and he asks to wait another year to see if the tree will produce or yield fruit. By showing mercy and compassion (one might say forgiveness) on this tree, that is, in the words of Yancey, the “unnatural” act of forgiveness. (It certainly would be much easier to chop the tree down and plant a new seed in its place.)

We are faced with non-producing fig trees throughout our lives. Maybe it is a relationship that is just not bearing fruit? Perhaps it is being stuck in a job that just pays the bills but does not fill your soul? Maybe it is because we are not living into the fullest life in Christ possible?

Yet, the forgiveness of God looks past our brokenness, faults and failures. God reaches into the muck and the mud all around our roots, clearing away the yuckiness and feeding, nourishing us once more. God tends to us for another season in the hopes that we will yield our fruits, and that is God’s scandalous forgiveness! But the real challenge is not that God forgives us, but that we are to forgive others in the same scandalous way!  

May we live into that example of forgiveness! A truly scandalous forgiveness, where others would look at our lives and say: Oh my goodness, THAT is what it means to truly forgive one another? 

Why, that would be scandalous indeed!

(Janita Krayniak is the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Powell and Lovell as well as interim pastor at Union Presbyterian Church in Powell.)