Enormous injustices and forgiveness

Last night, I decided to re-read 'Biblical Healing and Deliverance' by Chester and Betsy Kylstra. I reached Chapter 2, on forgiveness being the key to healing. In the book, there is a story on how Betsy once ministered to a young lady who had been a victim of incest for 4-5 years. The woman was so hurt, she didn't want to hear anything about forgiveness.

One day, she called Betsy saying she had ulcers that were bleeding, and was in great pain. Betsy began asking the Lord how to minister to her. God said, "Her bitterness has already caused her stomach ulcers. If it goes on, it will destroy her colon and eventually affect a third area of her body. It will then progress into a life-threatening condition." The story ends well because as Betsy shared this with the woman, the woman eventually reached a place of forgiveness and her pain disappeared in that moment.

I must confess that I struggled with this story and the notion of God's fairness. God! She has already suffered greatly in the hands of her brother. Why is it that you would allow this bitterness (which is a natural human reaction under such circumstances)to afflict her body too? I know what God says about forgiveness, I just felt it didn't seem very fair for the price of unforgiveness to be so high for someone who has gone through enormous injustice and pain.

I suppose God must have known because today, He reminded me that all of us have been forgiven much, much more than we can ever imagine. The debt He cancelled is higher than any debt we will ever cancel. The pardon He granted is greater than any pardon we can ever grant. It cost Him his life. So, to what can we compare any enormous injustice that has befallen someone? It would not be as great as the enormous injustice that befell the Lamb of God - "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21)

"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[b] was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." (Matt 18:23-35)

Prayer today: Father God, help me understand that we are a people who have been forgiven much. On that basis, you ask us to forgive others too. It's not always easy, but grant us the grace to obey you from our heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.