For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. (Galatians 6:3,4 ESV)
Comparisons
We had some fierce competition for Valedictorian in High School. I was never in the running (those annoying C’s in Phys Ed…) But for two or three of my classmates, each test was an opportunity to compare, rate, and brag.
We compete when it comes to righteousness, too. Maybe we do not rate our faithfulness against our family or friends, because we KNOW that it is Christ’s righteousness that matters. We all lose in that comparison.
But when it comes to forgiveness, we find it hard to forgive folk who are WORSE than us. We observe someone’s terrible sin, and because we would never do the things they did, it is comfortable to withhold forgiveness.
Maybe we find it hard to forgive folk who seem BETTER than us, too. Whether it is an odd form of jealousy, or perhaps a feeling that those more righteous need forgiveness so rarely, we withhold forgiveness in those cases, too.
But such comparisons do nothing. It does not matter whether we are forgiving someone worse than us, or better than us. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and all of God’s people still find forgiveness in Christ. Where we fall on an imagined scale is irrelevant and silly.
And since Christ forgives so broadly, we get to, as well.
Christians forgive not based on the level of offense, but because of the immense and graceful forgiveness of Christ.
Our choice to forgive has nothing to do with a comparison of ‘them’ and ‘us.’ It has to do with the richness of HIM.