Lord, do not impute this sin to them › Acts 7, 51-8,1a

 How could Stefan forgive the people who were going to stone him to death? It wasn’t just out of the blue. Scripture describes Stephen as a man, „full of Spirit and wisdom“, who did „great signs and wonders“ (Acts 6, 3. 8). His whole life was undoubtedly changed by the Holy Spirit, to such an extent that at the hour of death he became quite like his Master, Jesus, who begged his Father to forgive his murderers. 

Can you imagine the reaction of the men who stoned Stefan and heard these words? Instead of cursing them for what they are doing and calling out God’s vengeance on them, Stephen did the exact opposite. It probably really shook them. Forgiveness is a hallmark of Christianity. It is the heart and soul of the Gospel message, and anyone who experiences forgiveness will somehow change it. However, sometimes some specific forgiveness shakes us, especially when we read stories about people who have been given the grace to forgive even the terrible crimes someone has committed against them or their loved ones. In such cases, forgiveness is downright supernatural; it is much easier to get angry and feel resentment and desire for revenge.

Although forgiving is not always easy, we religious people know it is our duty. After all, God himself commands us to forgive those who sin against us. These people also include family members or friends who hurt, betrayed, and didn’t help us when we needed it most. God expects us to forgive even the slightest insults—for example, when someone despises us, ignores us, or makes sarcastic remarks toward us.

To struggle with forgiving someone right now, you have the grace of the resurrected Christ at your disposal. If it’s an insult so severe that you don’t know how you could forgive it, ask Bob first to forgive the person for you. Then ask him day after day to gradually help you forgive, too. It will probably be difficult at first, but over time, you will free yourself from anger and experience the joy of the Lord’s resurrection.