Are you guilty of assumicide? That's a word I discovered this week. It's what happens when you make false assumptions about others so that you can portray them in the worst possible light. We are so prone to be suspicious. When we become offended or hurt, we immediately begin to look for evidence that someone did us wrong. I can't tell you how many times I have done that in my marriage or in my parenting. But I can tell you how many times it's been done to me; I keep track of those things. I'm being a bit facetious, but not much. It's really amazing to me how often I am quick to assume that someone has it in for me.
This passage is found in a section where Matthew (Matthew 5:17-48) explains the demands of the Kingdom of God in relationship to the Law.
So, what really is the meaning of forgiveness? For a moment, try to forget everything you have heard or assumed about forgiveness.
I. God is our strength. The Psalmist says, “He restoreth my soul.” The Today’s English Version translates the first part of Psalms 23:3, “He (God) gives me new strength.”
It's one thing to have a bad day, week, month, or year … but this woman had a bad 12 years! Twelve years she had suffered probably as long as the little girl had lived.