Article written by: Sister Joann Greene (GMOH)
During a prayer meeting one evening I heard a short story of a young Filipino girl from a large family that was extremely poor. Sex Traffickers came through their village and offered her parents money for the 17-year-old girl which was the oldest. The parents accepted the money to be able to take care of the rest of the family. The girl was terribly angry and disappointed, but she was aware of the needs of her family.
Fifteen years of sexual abuse to this young girl who eventually accepted her fate in bondage. Coincidentally, she met a group of missionaries who were able to minister to her and let her know God loves her, and with their help she was able to come from under the bondage of her traffickers. She asked for forgiveness for her sins and asked Jesus into her heart and accepted Him as her Lord and Savior. She was also able to return home to her parents to forgive them for selling her into bondage.
This story brings me to the biblical story of forgiveness. Joseph, the most loved son of Jacob’s 11 sons was hated by his brothers. They were envious and jealous of the gift their father gave to Joseph. It was a coat of many colors. Joseph was a dreamer and told his family of many dreams he has had, and the brothers were angry with the last dream he had and told them about. He said that one day he would reign over them and that made them hate him even more. One day, Jacob sent Joseph out to see about his brothers in hopes that everything was well with them and the flocks. When the brothers saw Joseph, they plotted to kill him. They decided to throw him into a pit and leave him there, meanwhile some merchantmen pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites which took him to Egypt and made him a slave. His brothers brought his coat of many colors to their father soaked with blood and told him a wild beast killed him. Jacob mourned for his son a very long time. Joseph rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh. God used Joseph to preserve his family during a time of a famine in all the other lands but in Egypt there was plenty of food. His brothers had reached out to Joseph when their father died asking for forgiveness for what they had done to him as a request from their father, so Joseph had experienced forgiveness upon them before they came to him asking for food. He knew they were his brothers, but he didn’t let on to them. Genesis 37-50
Now we come to the Prodigal Son, Luke 15: 11-32 tells a biblical story of a certain man who had 2 sons and the younger of them said to his father, give me the portion of my goods that falleth to me and his father obliged him. He went into a far country and wasted all of his goods. He had no way to feed himself or place to live. He asked for work from a citizen of that country, and he was given a job to go into the fields and feed the swine and whatever the swine didn’t eat he ate. He finally came to himself in thinking about what he had left at home with the many servants and plenty of food, so he decided to go to his father and beg for forgiveness. He offered to live as a servant for the rest of his life because he had sinned against Heaven and his father. Humbly and shamefully, he started the journey back home. His father saw him from afar as he traveled back home, a joyful spirit filled his heart and he went out to greet him, hugged and kissed his son. He said for once his son was dead but now, he is alive. He told his servant to bring him the best coat to put on him and place shoes on his feet, he placed a ring on his finger. He also told his servant to kill a fat calf and cook it along with plenty of other foods and there was a great celebration. You see the Prodigal Son’s father forgave him.
In conclusion, Matthew 6: 14 states, “For if you forgive people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Forgiveness is something we all can receive and give at some point in our life.
Scripture pertaining forgiveness:
Matthew 6: 14-15, Psalm 103:12, Daniel 9:9, Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 10:17, Psalm 103: 3-4, Colossians 1:13-14, Psalm 29:11
Written by,
Sister Joann Greene
Grandmothers of Hope Society Ministry, Inc.