Corrie
Ten Boom -- Story on Forgiving
It
was in a church in Munich that I saw him—a balding, heavyset man in a gray
overcoat, a brown felt hat clutched between his hands. People were filing out
of the basement room where I had just spoken, moving along the rows of wooden
chairs to the door at the rear. It was 1947 and I had come from Holland to
defeated Germany with the message that God forgives.
It was the
truth they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them
my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a
Hollander’s mind, I liked to think that that’s where forgiven sins were thrown.
“When we confess our sins,” I said, “God casts them into the deepest ocean,
gone forever. …”
The solemn
faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. There were never
questions after a talk in Germany in 1947. People stood up in silence, in
silence collected their wraps, in silence left the room.
And that’s when
I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the
overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its
skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh
overhead lights; the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor;
the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister’s frail form
ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you
were!
[Betsie and I
had been arrested for concealing Jews in our home during the Nazi occupation of
Holland; this man had been a guard at Ravensbruck concentration camp where we
were sent.]
Now he was in
front of me, hand thrust out: “A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know
that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!”
And I, who had
spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that
hand. He would not remember me, of course—how could he remember one prisoner
among those thousands of women? But I remembered him and the leather crop
swinging from his belt. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood
seemed to freeze.
“You mentioned
Ravensbruck in your talk,” he was saying, “I was a guard there.” No, he did not
remember me. “But since that time,” he went on, “I have become a Christian. I
know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would
like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,” again the hand came
out—“will you forgive me?”
And I stood
there—I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven—and could not forgive. Betsie
had died in that place—could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the
asking? It could not have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held
out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had
ever had to do.
For I had to do
it—I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we
forgive those who have injured us. “If you do not forgive men their
trespasses,” Jesus says, “neither will your Father in heaven forgive your
trespasses.”
I knew it not
only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the
war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality. Those who were
able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside
world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who
nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as
that.
And still I
stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an
emotion—I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can
function regardless of the temperature of the heart. “… Help!” I prayed
silently. “I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.”
And so
woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And
as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder,
raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth
seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.
“I forgive you,
brother!” I cried. “With all my heart!” For a long moment we grasped each
other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known
God’s love so intensely, as I did then
(excerpted from “I’m Still Learning to Forgive” by
Corrie ten Boom. Reprinted by permission from Guideposts Magazine.
Copyright © 1972 by Guideposts Associates, Inc., Carmel, New York 10512>)
Example of Jesus: Luke
23:34 (NKJV) Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.
Example of Paul: 2
Timothy 4:9-17 (ESV) Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted
me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is very useful to me for ministry.12 Tychicus I have
sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak
that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord
will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him
yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16
At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not
be charged against them! 17 But the Lord
stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully
proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's
mouth.
Example of Stephen: Act
7:59-60 (ESV) And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit."60 And falling to
his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin
against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Psalm 32:1-6 (NLT) Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
Proverbs 18: 10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.