Tag: forgiveness

religion

The Sacrifice of Jesus and the Prodigal Son

So, a couple of days ago I laid out my argument as to why the idea that God demanded the blood sacrifice of his son for the forgiveness of sins is an error. (If you missed it, you should go read that post before continuing with this one: Did God Really Demand the Death of His Son for the Forgiveness of Sin?) Today I further elaborate my explanation/argument for a better understanding of what happened and why.

The writings of the New Testament draw a very clear line from the animal sacrifices used to atone for sins practiced by the Jews and the death of Jesus on the cross. For example, Ephesians 1:7 says that we have “redemption by his blood”. Revelation 7:11 says of the saints “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” However, in a rather complicated passage from Hebrews explaining why the death of Jesus was more perfect and more complete than the sacrifices which were offered by the priests in the temple for the forgiveness of sins, Paul refers back to Psalm 40 which makes the reality of sacrifice clear: “Sacrifice and offering you do not want; but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require; so I said, ‘Here I am . . . To do your will is my delight.’” And at the risk of offending my Catholic friends who hold the doctrine of transubstantiation*, Jesus further distances the will of God from the desire for blood by declaring that the wine and bread of the Passover and communion meals were metaphorically his blood and body. Since none of the disciples commented on the strange, metallic taste of the drink he gave them or the sweet, porky taste of the bread, I think we can assume that the wine and bread remained wine and bread and the need for actual blood is done. Again, the need for the human ritual portion of the relationship between God and man was complete and the God-given portion now emerges cleaner and clearer than before. Continue reading “The Sacrifice of Jesus and the Prodigal Son”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter15 Comments
religion

The Prodigal Son – The Hangover Edition

Have you ever wondered what happened in the household of the prodigal son after the party was over? The father has accepted him home, restored him to his place in the household, the family and his community and a celebration was held. But then what? Did the son retain his humility or did he slip all too readily into his old habits of laziness, selfishness, arrogance and short-sightedness? Did the older brother start acting up in order to prove that he too was a treasured son who could get away with murder and still be accepted home? The fortunes of the family would be reduced from what it once was, now that the younger son had sold off his portion. (If I’m not mistaken, his portion would have been 1/3 of the estate – the older brother being entitled to double the portion of the younger.) When the family felt the pinch, did they struggle not to be resentful towards the one who put them into such a situation? Did signs of the same flaws and faults that had led to his son’s outrageous behavior send the father into fits? Did the older and younger brother fight like cats and dogs or retreat into chilly silence? Did they react to the inevitable insults and gossip of neighbors who knew of his unthinkable sins and dereliction of duty by becoming the town toughs – always ready for a fight to defend themselves and their family’s honor. Did the son ever give his father reason to wish that he had remained lost for all the trouble he caused? Continue reading “The Prodigal Son – The Hangover Edition”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter3 Comments
divorce, life, relationships, religion

I Need an Editor. Or Something. . . Forgiving. For Real.

A few years ago, I was writing an obituary for a friend’s father who had passed away suddenly.  As many of you may have noticed, I do alright with the writing part of things most of the time, but I’m not quite so skilled as an editor*.  So, you shouldn’t be too surprised at the fact that I accidentally put the word “believed” where “beloved” was supposed to go.  So the first line read: “Mr. Bob Kennedy, believed father of Teddy and Linda Kennedy. . .”  Suddenly it seemed like not such a bad thing that Mr. Kennedy’s ex-wife hadn’t shown up to help her children handle the arrangements. 

(I spent the weekend with Mr. Kennedy a couple of years earlier when his son Teddy got married.  We were both just-outside-the-inner-circle participants in the wedding.  My ex was the best man and Mr. Kennedy was the now sober  and present father.  I am quite certain that Mr. Kennedy absolutely laughed his ass off over the whole thing.  I mean, he valued his children more than men who never went without them sometimes do.  But the whole thing was pretty rich.  He would have seen the humor.)  

I keep thinking about that story, because I keep thinking about her – the former Mrs. Kennedy.  Continue reading “I Need an Editor. Or Something. . . Forgiving. For Real.”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter3 Comments
prayer, religion

Would you run?

Could you forgive the way that the father of the prodigal son forgives?  Would you want to? 

Last winter as things were really unravelling with the qxh (quasi-ex husband), I was, of course, very upset with him.  I was considering at what point a couple could say that they had hit the point of no return.  At what point would it be reasonable to say that I’d had enough and wasn’t going to consider trying to fix things anymore?  To my horror, as I prayed God brought to mind the story of the prodigal son and challenged me to be like . . . the father.  Really?   Uh, that’s not for me.  Tell me I’m the prodigal who needs to come home or tell me that I’m the older brother who needs to get over himself.  But don’t tell me to run out to joyously meet someone who has willfully ripped my heart to shreds without even getting an apology and admission of wrongdoing first?  Ugh. 

I’m not kidding when I said I was horrified.  Yet each night before dinner our family prays “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  When we pray that, it’s not just a quid-pro-quo: “I’ll forgive him and you’ll forgive me”.  It’s also telling us that forgiving as God forgives is our goal.  And God does forgive by running out and making a complete fool of himself to welcome back the wayward son.  He doesn’t wait for us to grovel, to set up a payment plan, to promise on our lives never to do it again.  He just says, “welcome back.”  Continue reading “Would you run?”

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter1 Comment
life, relationships, religion

Steps to Forgiveness

Forgiveness is absolutely essential, but sometimes our hurts are just so big.  Here are some steps I have found useful in getting to a point of forgiveness. 1. Be realistic about your pain and what it is you are forgiving.  If you are angry, be angry.  If you are hurt, be hurt.  Don’t pretend it’s not as bad as it is.  If you are destroyed, … Continue reading Steps to Forgiveness

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter2 Comments
life, relationships

Practice Forgiveness Day!

Being forgiven = Freedom Forgiving = Freedom Pick a day this week to deliberately forgive anything and everything that bugs you. Traffic?  “I forgive you idiots for being in my way. I forgive the morons who designed the road system while under the influence of socialist drug addicts during their brutalist period.  I forgive my brakes for screetching.” (FYI – Name calling is tolerated, but … Continue reading Practice Forgiveness Day!

Unknown's avatarRebecca Trotter1 Comment