So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you. For I wrote to you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate it—to all of you. This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ.
Music for Reflection from Jim Rowe, Minister of Music
We are asked to forgive just as we are forgiven by a loving God. Paul says he forgives those who we forgive and asks the same of us (as we read into his letter to the church in Corinth). We are also aware of the healing properties for ourselves and for those we forgive. It often requires prayer to reach this conclusion but this isn’t optional for us as Christians.
If you would like to share any of your reflections or other music that comes to mind with this passage, feel free to share in the Risen Lord Facebook group or with music@risenlordlc.org.
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