Heroes of Forgiveness
Overview
Heroes of Forgiveness: Corrie ten Boom and the Source of a Forgiving Heart
The heroes of faith are not famous saints set apart from us; they are ordinary people whose lives bear witness to Christ in extraordinary circumstances. Corrie ten Boom is one such witness. A Dutch woman whose family hid and helped save approximately 800 Jewish people during the Nazi occupation of Holland, Corrie was 52 when she, her 84-year-old father, and her sister Betsy were betrayed and arrested. Her father died in custody. Corrie and Betsy were sent eventually to Ravensbrück, enduring days crammed into cattle cars without food, water, or shelter from the elements; weekly humiliating medical inspections; flea-infested barracks; cruel guards; and the daily sounds of the punishment block. In the midst of it all—what Corrie called a hell on earth—she and Betsy held nightly Bible studies in their barracks, undisturbed by guards who refused to enter because of the fleas. God's hand of provision was present even in their suffering. Her memoir The Hiding Place tells the story.
The biblical companion to Corrie's witness is King David. In 2 Samuel 11, David commits adultery with Bathsheba, then orchestrates the death of her husband Uriah to cover it up—sins we would call enormous by any measure. Yet when the prophet Nathan confronts him, David does not run from his guilt; he runs to the only One who can bear it away. Psalm 51 is his confession: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love… Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me." David knew what we must learn—that we cannot manufacture a clean heart for ourselves. Mercy comes from the Lord alone, and the sacrifice he accepts is "a broken and contrite heart." If God can forgive David's adultery and murder, surely he can forgive us. And out of David's line came Jesus himself, the ultimate forgiveness.
This is where Corrie's story takes its hardest turn. After the war, at a church service in Munich, she came face to face with one of the former SS guards from Ravensbrück—now a Christian, hand outstretched, thanking her for the message that Christ had washed away his sin. Corrie, who had preached forgiveness to others, found her own hand frozen at her side. Vengeful thoughts surged. So she prayed honestly: "Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness." As she took his hand, she felt a current of love pass through her that she could not have produced on her own. She concluded: "It is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on his. When he tells us to love our enemies, he gives, along with the command, the love itself."
This is the pastoral heart of the matter. Every week we pray, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Luther's explanation of the fifth petition reminds us that we are not worthy of God's forgiveness, yet he gives it freely by grace—and so we, in turn, "sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us." When we hold onto bitterness, we bear a weight we were never meant to carry. When we cannot forgive—and sometimes we truly cannot—we ask Jesus for his forgiveness to flow through us. The strength, peace, mercy, and forgiveness we need are all sourced at the cross, where every sin we have committed and every sin committed against us has already been dealt with. We need not become famous to live out our faith. Confess your sin like David. Forgive like Corrie. And trust that what is done in faith, however small, is known in the kingdom.
Transcript
Okay, yes, good morning again. So we are wrapping up with our heroes of faith today. It's our last time 0s
This does not mean that you cannot 10s
look up other heroes of faith and see how they how different people use their faith in action or even 12s
everyday people like you and me 20s
Well, they those are the heroes of faith though. They're everyday people like you and me who have done something 22s
Living out their faith lives where then they get known for it. So 30s
We will probably never be known for our faith, but we are known in the kingdom for our faith 34s
So there we go any who's the so today we're finishing with the heroes of 40s
forgiveness and 44s
I don't know how many of you know the story of Cory tenbone 47s
Yes, no, maybe okay and 52s
She wrote the hiding place 56s
I 59s
Think that she she exemplifies 60s
Amazingly which will here. I'm gonna tell you a little bit about her 67s
Then we're gonna jump into scripture and then we'll jump back to her after that 70s
I think we hope so I will I'm working towards it. Okay, so Cory tenbone 76s
It's a Dutch bless you Dutch woman 82s
grew up 86s
in 88s
Holland when she was 52 years old she well back it up four years in 1940 when the Nazis invaded Holland 89s
She and her family who were very faithful people they realized they needed to do something to help 99s
The Jewish people in their community and so they would get extra rations 104s
They had kind of an underground network going they could 110s
Jewish people in their in their house and 115s
They 120s
All told it's estimated that they helped to save approximately 800 Jewish people in Holland 122s
So they were living out their faith as a family 130s
It was just incredible. I if you have not read the hiding place. I highly recommend it 133s
Amazing amazing story and lots of really good tidbits of wisdom in there which is 139s
Fascinating. It's one of those can't put down sort of books. So I highly recommend it 147s
So when she was 52 and her dad was 84 and it was her her dad and her sister who all lived in the same house 152s
and we're helping these Jewish people and 161s
They were betrayed by one of their countrymen and the Nazis came in and 164s
arrested her and her father and her sister and 170s
And they were sent to concentration camps 175s
52 I don't know what the average agent here is 178s
Some of you may have seen 52 come and go some of you are looking towards it 182s
But oh, we've got a thumbs up higher higher 186s
But just imagine 52 year up 191s
heading into this 196s
kind of unknown into this arrest and 198s
Her 84 year old father did end up dying at one of the concentration camps 202s
But we're gonna just I'm gonna read a little bit from her book to you so we get an idea of what she experienced 208s
There's my first book mark here we go 218s
Did it did it 220s
So this is this is they had already been to two concentration camps 222s
They were in concentration camps for a period of 10 months 227s
She was released after 10 months, but 230s
But this is the third one 234s
Ravensbrook and this was a 236s
Not not good place. This is they had heard tales of how bad this concentration 239s
Camp was and and that's where they were headed for two more incredible days and two more nights 246s
We were carried deeper and deeper into the land of our fears now mind you they are on a train 251s
They're not in nice little seats. They're kind of shoved in to cattle cars 257s
No room to sit or lay down her sister is incredibly ill and weak 263s
She was a little stronger 270s
So they were just trying to figure out how to best ride and this is in two days and two nights 272s
Standing in a cattle cattle car just crammed with other women 279s
Occasionally one of the loaves of bread was passed from hand to hand 285s
But not even the most elementary provision had been made for sanitation and the air in the car was such that you could eat 288s
And gradually more terrible than the crush of bodies and the filth the single obsession was 295s
Something to drink two or three times when the train stopped the door was slid open a few inches and a pale of water passed in 301s
But we had become animals incapable of plan or system those near the door got it all at last the morning of the fourth day the train stopped again 309s
four days 320s
crammed into this cattle car and 321s
And the door was opened its full width like infants on hands and knees we crawled to the opening and 324s
lowered ourselves over the side in front of us was a smiling blue lake on the far side among 330s
Sycamore trees rose a white church steeple the stronger prisoners hauled buckets of water from the lake 336s
We drank through cracked and swollen lips the train was shorter the cars carrying the men had disappeared 342s
Only a handful of soldiers some of them looking no older than 15 were there to guard a thousand women 347s
No more were needed we could scarcely walk let alone resist 354s
After a while they got us into straggly columns and marched us off for a mile the road followed the shore of the lake 360s
Then left it to climb a hill. I wondered if Betsy 366s
That's her sister Betsy. I wondered if Betsy could make it to the top 369s
But the side of trees and sky seemed to have revived her and she supported me as much as I her 372s
We passed a number of local people on foot and in horse drawn wagons the children 377s
Especially seemed wonderful to me pink cheap and healthy they returned by stairs with wide eyed interest 382s
I noticed however that the adults did not look at us but turned their heads away as we approached 388s
I think that the very telling tail 396s
Of the blinding eye 403s
Purposefully those adults knew this was wrong. They knew these people were being 406s
tortured they had spent at least four days on those cattle cars 412s
crammed in there no real food 417s
Most of them had nothing to drink and they were expected to walk a mile a pill part of the way 420s
making it into this 427s
next 429s
Concentration camp 430s
Fridays the recurrent humiliation of medical inspection 432s
The hospital corridor in which we waited was unheated and a fault chill had settled into the walls 436s
Still we were forbidden even to wrap ourselves in our own arms 441s
But had to maintain our erect hands at sides position as we filed slowly past of 446s
Falnicks of green greening guards how there could have been any pleasure in the sight of these stick thin legs and hunger bloated stomachs 453s
I could not imagine 461s
Surely there is no more wretched sight than the human body unloved and uncared for 463s
Nor could I see the necessity for the complete undressing when we finally reached the examining room a doctor looked down each throat 468s
Another a dentist presumably at our teeth a third in between each finger and that was all we trooped again down the long cold corridor and picked up our 476s
X marked dresses at the door 485s
all these women 489s
every single week 491s
Had to just file through 493s
completely 497s
Make it completely vulnerable completely bear and these guards would just smile 498s
Smile I 507s
Love how Corey says I don't I don't understand how anyone could find pleasure in this and 510s
Yet she said stood strong 515s
helped her helped her sister the whole time 517s
This is another excerpt from here 524s
This is their actual barracks where they lived 527s
Barracks eight was in the quarantine camp compound next to us perhaps as a deliberate warning to newcomers newcomers were located the 531s
Punishment barracks from there all day long and often into the night came the sounds of hell itself 539s
They were not the sounds of anger or of any human emotion but of a cruelty altogether detached blows landing in regular rhythm 545s
Screens keeping pace we would stand in our ten deep ranks with our hands trembling at our sides 554s
longing to jam them against our ears to make the sounds stop 560s
It grew harder and harder even within these four walls there was too much misery too much seemingly pointless 563s
Suffering every day something else failed to make sense something else grew too heavy 571s
Every day the sun rose a little later the bite took longer to leave the air 576s
It will be better everyone assured everyone else when we move into the permanent barracks 581s
We'll have a blanket a piece a bed of our own 585s
The move to the permanent quarters came the second week in October so it's getting colder and colder as this time progresses 588s
We were marched ten abreast along the wine a wide-sinder avenue several times the column halted while numbers were read out 595s
Names were never used at Ravensbrook at last Betsy's in mine were called we stepped out of line with a dozen or so others and stared at the long 603s
Gray front of barracks 612s
28 613s
Betsy and I followed a prisoner guide through our door at the right because of the broken windows the vast room was in 614s
semi-toy light our noses told us first that the place was filthy 620s
Somewhere plumbing had backed up the bedding was soiled and rancid then our eyes adjusted to the gloom 626s
We saw that there were no individual beds at all but great square tears stacked three high and wedged side by side and 632s
End to end with only an occasional narrow aisle slicing through we followed our guide single file the aisle was not wide enough 641s
For two fighting back the claustrophobia of these platforms rising everywhere above us at last 649s
She pointed to a second tier in the center of a large block to reach it 654s
We had to stand on the bottom level haul ourselves up and then crawl across three other straw covered platforms to reach the one that we would share with 658s
How many the deck above us was too close to let us sit up? 666s
We lay back struggling against the nausea that swept over us from the wreaking straw 670s
Suddenly I sat up striking my head on the cross-lath above something had pinched my leg 675s
Fleas I cried Betsy the places swarming with them 680s
Non-stop they were covered with fleas with lice there were roaches in all the other places 685s
Constantly bugs everywhere we scammed across the intervening platforms heads low to avoid another bump drop down to the aisle and hedged our way to a patch of light 692s
They were in what we would consider hell on earth 702s
They had no real warmth that I never used this I'm gonna use it now the 709s
I'm gonna do right the beds 715s
were just these bunk beds 718s
Like that and these tight rows and you would fit 722s
um 726s
At least five women at least five women on these little 727s
beds they would be sleeping nearly on top the only the only 732s
Saving grace in this sleeping arrangement was that they would have some body heat a little bit of body heat to keep each other warm 737s
Truly truly a hell on earth 744s
um 747s
I say that 749s
When you read this book you will also see the hand of God 751s
everywhere throughout their experience 755s
um 757s
And the fleas are one of those 760s
Her sister Betsy says oh we need to thank the Lord for the fleas and she says no 764s
Note this is where I'm drawing the line. I'm not thanking the Lord for the fleas 768s
But it comes to it turns out that 774s
They would hold the Bible study every single night 777s
With a Bible that they miraculously smuggled in and 781s
uh 786s
And the only reason the guards would not go in that barracks to break up the Bible study was because of the fleas 787s
So God's hand truly was 793s
In every moment of this he was with them in their suffering and would provide 797s
Um for them in that suffering at every turn it it I highly recommend 802s
um 808s
As you study the world war two study the holocaust um have your kids or grandkids 810s
study it 817s
Bring them back to a book like this 819s
Because a lot of people use the holocaust as a reason to prove God's non-existence 821s
If God existed there wouldn't be such times as the holocaust but this 826s
This book 831s
shows how God's hand was still there still with them 832s
Still providing for them and still loving them. So I highly recommend 837s
um 841s
Looking at this book or or some of her other books just incredible um 843s
Yes 850s
You know what I'm saying here we just felt about 852s
when we were in the real car there was probably people who had a car 853s
Most characters were 856s
some other 858s
So the two dogs were slapped 860s
So the other one we were supposed to do was 862s
So he's saying that most catacars have some openings some some slats 864s
The center of this 869s
See my drawing is good 870s
Her drawing is good 872s
The way you have the catacar is 873s
It's like the most of them are just slats like it 874s
So they have little flats in here so they're exposed to the weather as well 876s
Are you 880s
In clothes? 881s
We may drop it 882s
So we're measuring the 883s
Look, those catacars are over the floor 884s
So it's just where 886s
The center 887s
So anyone who can't hear him he's just reminding us that most catacars are 888s
Open have some sort of um 893s
Flat some exposure to the weather which these women also would have had to endure 896s
So 902s
Right there they're 911s
Malmourished they have no drink and they're exposed to weather for and not sitting there standing that whole time 913s
um 921s
The biggest problem was Betsy's strength 922s
One morning after a hard night's rain we arrived to find the ground sodden and heavy 925s
Betsy had never been able to lift much today 929s
Her shovels full were microscopic and she stumbled frequently as she walked to the low ground where we dumped the load the guard 932s
Screamed at her can't you go faster 938s
Why must they scream? I wondered a voice coming from the bell shaped speaker a scream lingering in the air even after Betsy had left to shut it off 941s
Lofa lazy swine the guard snatched Betsy's shovel from her hands and ran from group to group of the digging crew exhibiting the handful of dirt 949s
That was all Betsy could had been able to lift 958s
Look at what Madame Baranessa's carrying surely she will over exert herself. So he is mocking her 961s
For the little bit that she can do the other guards and even some of the prisoners left 968s
Encourage the guard threw herself into a parody of Betsy's faltering walk a male guard was with our detail today 972s
And in the presence of a man the women guards were always animated as the laughter grew 979s
I felt a murderous anger inside the guard was young and well fed was it Betsy's fault that she was old and starving 984s
But to my astonishment Betsy too was laughing 990s
That's me all right she admitted, but you'd better let me taut her along with my little spoonful or I'll have to stop all together 994s
The guards plump cheeks went crimson all the side who's to stop and snatching the leather crop from her belt 1001s
She slashed Betsy across the chest and neck 1006s
Without knowing what I was doing. I seized my shovel and rushed at her 1009s
Betsy stepped in front of me before anyone had seen 1012s
Cory she pleaded dragging my arm to my side 1015s
Cory keep working 1018s
She tugged the shovel from my hand and dug it into the mud 1020s
Contempsuously the guard tossed Betsy shovel tore us I picked it up still in a days 1023s
A red stain appeared on Betsy's collar a welts begin to swell on her neck 1028s
Betsy saw where I was looking and laid a bird thin hand over the whip mark 1033s
Don't look at it Cory look at Jesus only she drew her hand away. It was sticky with blood 1036s
Malmourished 1046s
No real 1048s
Hydration 1049s
Constantly exposed to the elements 1050s
expected to do hard labor beaten 1055s
whenever 1059s
Force to do these humiliating medical checkup every single week 1060s
I can't get 1067s
worse 1071s
Death seemed 1071s
A release 1072s
I can't be able to leave that 1077s
So now we're going to jump to scripture we'll come back to this momentarily 1080s
I just wanted to kind of lay the groundwork of what they were experiencing in this concentration camp 1086s
So let's go to 1091s
Second Samuel 1094s
In the Old Testament it's after first Samuel 1096s
After after judges after Ruth 1101s
It's after the Pentateuch so you've got Deuteronomy at the end of the first five books 1104s
Then go a couple more and you'll get to second Samuel chapter 11 1109s
If anyone has the page number of the Pew edition you can holler it out 1114s
263 1120s
Excellent thank you 1123s
Okay, so the Bible 1128s
The Bible 1132s
Character or person that we're going to study today is David 1133s
And bring him up with good reason we're going to read about David's 1138s
Sin here so picking up in verse or in in chapter 11 in the spring of the year 1146s
The time when the kings go out to battle David sent Joe out with his officers and all Israel with him 1152s
They ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Reba but David remained at Jerusalem 1157s
It happened late one afternoon when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the tin roof 1164s
On the roof of the Kings house, excuse me, that he saw from the roof of woman bathing 1169s
The woman was very beautiful 1173s
David sent someone to inquire about the woman 1175s
It was reported this is Beth Sheba daughter of alien the wife of Uriah the Hittite 1178s
So David sent messengers to get her and she came to him and he lay with her 1183s
Now she was purifying herself after her period 1187s
Then she returned to her house the woman conceived and she sent and told David I am pregnant 1191s
So David sent word to Joab sent me Uriah the Hittite and Joab sent Uriah and two David 1197s
When Uriah came to him David asked how Joab and the people fared and how the war was going 1203s
Then David said to Uriah go down to your house and wash your feet 1208s
Uriah went out of the Kings house and there followed him a present from the king 1212s
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the Kings house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house 1217s
When they told David Uriah did not go down to his house David said to Uriah 1223s
You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house? 1227s
He's trying to get Uriah 1230s
To be with Beth Sheba so that that pregnancy is covered up 1233s
And there's no 1238s
Sin known 1239s
Uriah said to David the Arkham Israel and Judah remain in boots and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field 1241s
Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife as you live and as your soul lives 1248s
I will not do such a thing 1254s
Then David said to Uriah remain here today also and tomorrow I will send you back 1256s
So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day on the next day 1261s
David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and make him drunk and in the evening 1265s
He went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house 1269s
Still he won't comply. He's being a good 1277s
He's being a soldier and remaining faithful to the king 1282s
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah in the letter 1288s
He wrote set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting and then draw back from him so that he may be struck down and 1293s
die 1301s
Now we're plotting murder 1303s
As Joab was besieging the city he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there was a valiant war there were valiant warriors 1306s
The men of the city came out and fought with Joab and some of the servants of David among the people fell 1311s
Uriah the Hittite was killed as well 1317s
Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting and he instructed the messenger 1319s
When you have finished telling the king all the news about the fighting then if the kings anger rises and if he says to you 1324s
Why did you go so near the city to fight? 1330s
Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? Who killed Ab-Amelak? 1332s
Son of 1337s
These names Jarrubal 1338s
Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at the bez 1340s
Why did you go so near the wall? 1345s
Then you shall say you're servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too 1346s
So he delivers that message he knows that Uriah is dead and 1352s
When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead jumping down to verse 26 1357s
She made lamentation for him when the morning was over David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife and bore him a 1361s
son 1370s
These are biggie these are what we consider big sin 1372s
right 1377s
adultery 1378s
murder 1380s
cover up 1382s
This is big if this happened in today's age this would be all over the news and 1383s
We would hear a lot of people 1389s
uh 1392s
condemning batsheba 1394s
um 1397s
They'd be in a lot of trouble and 1398s
And we consider those big thin 1400s
And it's pointed out to david the prophet Nathan points out his sin to him 1404s
And he realizes and something that uh, I think that you may know you may not know 1411s
um 1417s
When you've sinned which we all do 1419s
um when you sin 1422s
Doesn't it hurt? 1425s
It hurts 1428s
Physically 1430s
You can't eat you can't sleep um 1431s
If you've murdered someone 1437s
I don't know how you couldn't not run and confess to someone 1439s
Tell someone it physically hurts 1445s
To bear the burden of sin 1450s
Flip over to psalm 51 if you open up your bible to the middle 1454s
You'll 1458s
Almost be there um, so psalm 51 1459s
So these sins 1464s
Are what 1466s
Are the the driving force behind psalm 51 david writes his confession out in this psalm and 1468s
Okay, and I say this all the time but this really is my favorite 1478s
Pretty sure I love this I love this because it is so bold 1483s
So honest and he lays it all out there. Let's read it 1487s
Have mercy on me, oh god. According to your steadfast love. According to your abundant mercy 1493s
Blot out my transgressions 1500s
Who else has the mercy who else is able 1504s
To forgive as david needs that forgiveness but the Lord 1509s
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for I know my transgressions and my sin is ever 1513s
before me 1522s
Against you 1524s
You alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless 1525s
When you pass judgment 1533s
Again 1536s
Do you hear that we talk about this all the time that we sin when we sin 1537s
We are sinning against God and we are absolutely worthy of his wrath 1543s
And yet 1551s
We cry for that same mercy we cry for that forgiveness 1555s
From the only one who can offer us mercy 1560s
Indeed verse five indeed I was born guilty as sinner when my mother conceived me 1564s
You desire truth in the inward being 1569s
Therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart purge me with his up and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be wider than snow 1571s
Let me hear joy and gladness let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Here's that physical 1579s
Physical response the bones crushing 1587s
um hide your face from my sin then blot out all my iniquities 1590s
This is my favorite verse 1595s
A create in me a clean heart oh God and put a new and right spirit within me who can do that 1597s
We cannot do that for ourselves. We cannot create a new and right spirit for ourselves 1605s
At all 1612s
We're born 1613s
In sin we're born guilty 1615s
The only one who can create in us a clean and right spirit is the Lord 1618s
Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your holy spirit from me 1624s
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit 1629s
Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will return to you 1634s
Deliver me from bloodshed. Oh God. Oh God of my salvation and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance 1638s
O Lord open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise 1644s
For you have no delight in sacrifice 1648s
If I were to give a burnt offering you would not be pleased the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken 1651s
Spirit a broken and contrite heart oh God you will not despise 1657s
Oh 1665s
The Lord wants us to come to him 1668s
Begging for that mercy the Lord wants to lavish us 1673s
With redemption with forgiveness 1677s
Oh my gosh 1682s
These are the big sins 1685s
The what we consider the big sins that David is confessing and asking for forgiveness 1688s
And do we know what happens with David? He absolutely has to deal with the earthly consequences of this but out of his branch 1696s
We get the ultimate 1705s
We get 1711s
Jesus out of the branch of David 1712s
If God can forgive David 1717s
Surely 1721s
Surely he can forgive us 1723s
So now we're gonna go back to Cory 1729s
And what does this mean in her life what what did this mean in her life and what does this mean in our life? 1734s
So does anyone remember oh again small catechism pop 1743s
You know I do this you should all just keep going with your small catechisms right? 1747s
Okay, who remembers in the Lord's prayer the fifth petition 1756s
And forgive us our 1760s
Trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and what does this mean? 1763s
Oh, I thought I thought you were raising your hand. Okay, we pray in this petition that our father in heaven would not look at our sins 1771s
Or deny our prayer because of them 1780s
We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray 1782s
Nor have we deserved them, but we ask that he would give them all to us by grace 1786s
For we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment 1790s
So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us 1795s
So we read about the horrors or some of the horrors that Cory experienced her dad died 1807s
Her sister died her her sister was beaten in front of her 1814s
um 1820s
She was malnourished 1821s
She was mocked and laughed at she was humiliated 1823s
She was exposed to the elements 1827s
What happened 1832s
It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him this is post 1834s
War the former SS man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing 1839s
Center at Ravensbrook he was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time and suddenly it was all there 1844s
The room full of mocking men the heaps of clothing bettees pain blanched face 1851s
He came up to me as the church was emptying beaming and bowing 1857s
How grateful I am for your message for a line he said to think that as you say he has washed my sin 1861s
away 1871s
His hand was thrust out to shake mine and I who had preached so often to the people in Blooming doll 1872s
The need to forgive kept my hand at my side 1879s
Even as the angry vengeful thoughts boiled through me. I saw the sin of them 1883s
Jesus Christ had died 1888s
For this man 1891s
Was I going to ask for more 1894s
Lord Jesus I prayed forgive me and help me to forgive him 1896s
I tried to smile I struggled to raise my hand. I could not 1900s
I felt nothing not the slightest spark of warmth or charity and so again 1906s
I breathe the silent prayer Jesus. I cannot forgive him give me your forgiveness as I took his hand 1910s
The most incredible thing happened from my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current 1917s
Seem to pass from me to him while into my heart spring a love for this stranger that almost 1923s
overwhelmed me 1929s
And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness 1932s
Any more than our goodness that the world's healing hinges 1936s
But on his when he tells us to love our enemies he gives 1940s
Along with the command the love itself 1946s
She had gone to hell 1954s
An earthly hell 1957s
And this man who created that hell part of that hell for her he stood before her saying oh it was a great message 1959s
I heard that Jesus forgives my sin through your lips 1967s
How was she supposed to forgive this man but notice 1972s
It's not out of her power that she forgives is it 1978s
It's 1984s
It's out of 1985s
Jesus it's out of 1986s
The love of Christ the forgiveness that we have in Christ that she was able to extend forgiveness 1988s
to that man 1996s
And she was overcome with love for this man who had put her through hell and she could forgive him 1998s
Truly forgive him 2009s
Because she had that strength from Jesus 2011s
So what that means for us 2016s
In our own lives 2020s
When we pray that prayer we pray it every single week 2022s
probably a lot of us pray it at home daily 2027s
Forgive us our trespasses as 2031s
We 2035s
Forgive those 2036s
Who trespass against us 2038s
It's not out of our own power 2043s
But we are called to forgive 2046s
I love how she brings it back to Jesus if Jesus already died 2050s
For the person who has sinned against you if Jesus has forgiven those sins 2056s
Certainly we can call on him to help us to forgive 2063s
Because often when we hold on 2070s
To that sin 2074s
Against us 2076s
We too are burdened 2078s
And we hold on to it and we bear the weight of that sin 2080s
And we have no release of that 2086s
So 2094s
As we go for 2096s
As we think about 2099s
Whether it's strength or peace or mercy or forgiveness 2103s
We can turn every single time to realize that our strength 2108s
That our peace 2114s
That any mercy we may have 2116s
And forgiveness that we may give truly is sourced 2120s
At the cross truly is sourced in Jesus Christ 2125s
Because the hell that they endured 2131s
The sin that we endure whether we committed or we are sinned against 2134s
It was already dealt with 2140s
On the cross it was already overcome 2143s
Through Jesus Christ and we can take that 2147s
Into our daily lives 2151s
We don't have to be amazing heroes 2156s
We don't have to become famous 2158s
Because when we are living out our faith 2163s
It is known in the kingdom. It's known to those around us 2167s
That should be good, no 2173s
So go forth forgive 2176s
Be forgiven 2179s
Confess 2181s
Read 2182s
Love that confession 51, Psalm 51, Psalm 51 2185s
And I think that's it two minutes over not too bad 2188s
Please forgive me 2193s