If I were to tell you that today’s scripture is about forgiveness, you mind might go to how God forgives us or how we ought to forgive one another. That is not what we will discuss in this story of forgiveness. Let’s read Matthew 27:3-5
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
So when we read this verse, a person might ask what it has to do with forgiveness? We all understand how much we need God to forgive us or even how much we need to forgive those who hurt us, but this lesson is about a different kind of forgiveness. It is about our need to forgive ourself.
We all have probably done something that we feel guilty about. We may have hurt someone else. Once you have confessed the sin to God and made things right with others, you must learn to forgive yourself. Unless you do, then you will always be emotionally and spiritually damaged.
Let me illustrate this with a true story from Shoeless Joe Jackson. Have you ever heard of “Shoeless Joe Jackson?” Shoeless Joe was an amazing baseball player in the first part of the 20th century. Unfortunately he allowed himself to get mixed up in the Chicago White Sox scandal. Players took money to fix the World Series. Several players, including Joe, were banned from baseball for life.
After leaving baseball, In 1922, Shoeless Joe Jackson returned to Greenville and opened a dry cleaning business. Later he and his wife opened a place called, “Joe Jackson’s Liquor Store.” They operated that place until his death. One day the famous player, Ty Cobb and sportswriter Grantland Rice entered the store. Jackson showed no sign of recognition towards Cobb. After making his purchase, Ty Cobb finally asked Jackson, “Don’t you know me, Joe?” Jackson replied, “Sure, I know you, Ty, but I wasn’t sure you wanted to know me. A lot of them don’t.”
Baseball historians argue about how much Shoeles Joe was really involved in the scandal, but no one can question that Joe never forgave himself. When you don’t forgive yourself, you will always be emotionally stunted.
Lonnie Davis