111. He Doesn't Put You On Parole

Luke 15:22-24

Don’t you hate it when people forgive you, but only sort of forgive you? You know, you do something to hurt someone and you have a big fight, and then after the hostilities end, they say you’re forgiven, but you can tell they’re not over it. You can still feel that tension between you and as soon as anything else happens, they just start bringing up all that old stuff again. Even years later, they bring up that old stuff as a way to remind you that you still owe them something. It’s like the wound is still throbbing and you know it’s your fault, so they get to use that hurt as a way to punish you. It’s like being on parole... you know, you did something wrong, served some time but then got let out by the mercy of the court, so long as you behave. When a person gets put on parole, the understanding is that you have to keep walking straight or else you will wind up right back where you were for that old crime just as much as the new crime. In other words, they’re watching you. You’re sort-of forgiven, as long as you don’t violate parole. Dang, forgiveness like that sucks. And to be honest, it’s probably worse than whatever you did to that person in the first place. Here’s the thing: Jesus doesn’t forgive like that. Jesus doesn’t sort-of forgive you. When He forgives, it’s forever! He doesn’t put you on parole, just waiting on you to step out of line. When the prodigal son came home, there was no parole, just a party! That’s the only kind of forgiveness that can truly set a heart free.