Forgiving and Consoling the Offender

Jesus Calls for Justice and Mercy

The Unforgiving Servant

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 The Message

5-8 Now, regarding the one who started all this—the person in question who caused all this pain—I want you to know that I am not the one injured in this as much as, with a few exceptions, all of you. So I don’t want to come down too hard. What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough. Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it. My counsel now is to pour on the love.
9-11 The focus of my letter wasn’t on punishing the offender but on getting you to take responsibility for the health of the church. So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don’t think I’m carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I’m joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!

For Reflection

All churches struggle with discipline. Here Paul gives guidance and reassurance to a congregation that is struggling with a person who has grieved them in some way.  Perhaps the first inclination for resolving their problem was to punish the offending believer. But exercising punishment is only the beginning of reconciliation. It is not the end, but rather the beginning of a correction. The way of Christ is to forgive the offender and encourage him to repent. When one in the congregation grieves for Jesus sake the whole congregation grieves.  When we suffer for Jesus, it works to heal us all, the offended and the offender. Punishment corrects and forgiveness and encouragement heal us all.

Pray

Pray so that you can forgive. Pray so that you can wipe away an offense and encourage the offender with the corrective power of Love. Pray so that you can receive the offender into the community of Christ with abounding joy.

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