Jesus told people that God forgave them, that they could really find a fresh start in life. Sadly, that outraged the religious leaders of his day. For Jesus, forgiveness was a fundamental Kingdom reality. If God did not forgive, no fallible human could have hope. But Jesus also knew that it’s really not credible to claim God’s forgiveness for ourselves if we aren’t willing to forgive others.

• In what ways did you first learn about God? As you learned, did you see God as mainly angry about sins, as indifferent and indulgent in excusing sins, or as compassionate and forgiving when we miss the mark? What difference do you see between “excusing” and “forgiving”? What difference does it make, in our relationship with God and in our relationships with each other, that God forgives sins rather than excusing them?
• Is there anyone in your life you need to forgive (maybe even someone who has died, or whom you have no idea how to contact)? How can you open yourself to God’s forgiveness in ways that will move you toward forgiving the person(s) who wronged you? In what ways can that bring you inward healing, as well as (if you can contact the person) outward relational healing?