By Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32 ESV
The Lord surely has a sense of humor. While writing this article, I found myself suddenly faced with a situation so unfair and secretive that it stretched to the limits of my ability to forgive. In His wisdom, God pulled me down from the realm of theory and into the gritty, emotional reality of real life. I had to practice what I preach.
What I share with you now comes not just from study, but from struggle—from an experience that has been both heavy and healing.
Lewis Smedes once wrote in “Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve” that “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Those words have never felt more true. The image of a prisoner being set free beautifully captures the power and potential of forgiveness—a power that touches every corner of Scripture, worship, and human experience.
FORGIVENESS AS FREEDOM
We see this vividly in Jesus’ parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18). When Peter asks, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus replies, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (vv. 21-22 NIV).
And He concludes with this warning:
“So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (vv. 35 ESV).
Forgiveness, in Jesus’ teaching, is not optional. It is the fruit of a heart that knows what it means to be set free.
HYMNS OF THE FREED PRISONER
From the 18th-century hymn “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun” by Isaac Watts: “Blessings abound where’er He reigns: the prisoners leap to lose their chains.”
From Charles Wesley’s “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”: “He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free.”
From Chris Tomlin’s modern addition to “Amazing Grace”: “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free, my God, my Savior has ransomed me.”
And from Zach Williams’ powerful anthem “Chain Breaker”: “If you need freedom or saving, He’s a prison-shaking Savior. If you’ve got chains, He’s a chain breaker.”
These songs proclaim one truth: forgiveness isn’t just an act—it’s a miracle that unlocks the soul.
FORGIVENESS CREATES A FUTURE
Smedes also reminds us that forgiveness doesn’t erase the past — it transforms it.
“Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.”
This is movingly lived out in the true story of Mary Johnson-Roy and Oshea Israel. When Mary forgave the man who murdered her son, she didn’t just release him—she opened a path of healing for herself, as well. In time, they became neighbors and friends, telling their story to thousands across the country. It’s a living parable of redemption, showing that forgiveness can give both the offended and the offender a future and a hope. Watch their story here: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-a-mother-invited-her-sons-killer-to-be-her-neighbor/.
Every preacher on Worship Anew prays The Lord’s Prayer — a powerful moment of unity in Christ. I encourage you to take time to reflect on Martin Luther’s explanation of the petition: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Luther reminds us that this simple line holds both a deep need and a profound gift — our need for God’s forgiveness, and the life-changing power to forgive others that flows from being forgiven by our Savior. In those words, we don’t just ask for mercy; we are invited to become instruments of it.
We’ve been freed to forgive — what a gift that is! Lord, I think I’m ready. Ready to bring healing to a broken situation by stepping out in forgiveness. Please give me the courage and grace to do it—for Jesus’ sake.
This month’s study text:
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:21-35 (ESV)
Reflection Questions:
When have I experienced the freedom of being forgiven by God—or by someone else? How did it change me?
Is there someone I need to forgive—not to excuse the hurt, but to begin healing my own heart?
How can I become an instrument of God’s mercy in a relationship or situation that still feels broken?
Prayer:
Gracious God, You have forgiven me fully and freely through Jesus. Now, by Your Spirit, set me free from the chains of bitterness and pain. Give me the courage to extend the same mercy to others—not because they deserve it, but because You have shown it to me. Let my life be a witness to the healing power of Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer is the senior pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., and a pastor on Worship Anew.