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Luke 17:1-10

Sorry is not Ok

It is very common for us to say ‘sorry’ and to respond with ‘it’s ok.’ When in reality it is not ‘ok.’ It is not ‘ok’ for me to steal from you, to lie to you, to break your trust, to deliberately hurt you. We don’t realise the significant difference between saying sorry and asking for someone’s forgiveness.

What does sorry mean anyway?

I’m certain that there are lots of people who are sorry they are in jail but not because of what they did but rather because of the consequence of what landed them in jail. So when we say ‘sorry’ we might not even be apologising at all. Kids often are forced by adults to say ‘sorry’ but they often do so reluctantly and often with some sort of specific speech impediment.

‘Sorry’ is a great word for accidents. If I bump into someone ‘sorry’ is appropriate. But if I push someone deliberately it isn’t enough. Forgiveness is a transaction that requires both people to understand what debt is being cancelled. So I would need to say something like “Please forgive me for pushing you over, I’m sorry that I hurt you.” The right response would be “I forgive you for pushing me over.”

It takes humility to forgive and be forgiven. ‘Sorry’ is most often used as a way of acknowledging some fault while dodging it at the same time. It is too vague and therefore ‘sorry is not ok.’            the Rev

05 Forgive (It’s Confronting)

Bible Reading: Luke 17:1-10

Exercises

• Discuss why unforgiveness makes God ‘deaf’ to prayers Mark 11:25 & Matt 5:23-24

• Discuss the danger of confronting someone about their sin? Gal 6:1-2

• Discuss how we shouldn’t and should confront to forgive. Luke 17:1-4 & Matt 18:15

• Share what has encouraged you to overcome the difficulty to’ lovingly confront.’

• Share in what ways ‘loving confrontation’ has confronted you, what will help you?

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive me my unforgiveness, my lack of loving confronting people whom I need to forgive or receive forgiveness from. Forgive me for offending you by my unforgiveness. Help me to learn to loving confront people so that I can forgive and be forgiven, so that my relationships can be restored and healed. Teach me to have a forgiving hearts so that I might grow in peace, joy and generosity. May people recognise you working in and through my life as I learn to forgive. Amen

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