Quote:

“I wasn’t sure I could forgive him yet, but I knew I wanted to.”― Ponyboy Curtis, The Outsiders

Context:

In The Outsiders a good example of forgiveness or forgiving people is between Ponyboy Curtis, and his older brother, Darry.

After Ponyboy stays out too late, Darry, (the eldest Curtis brother, and takes care of Ponyboy, and their other brother, Sodapop) ends up hitting Ponyboy, causing Ponyboy to get scared and run away. He meets up with Johnny Cade, Ponyboy’s best friend, and they both run away after an incident happened.

When the main part of the story is over, and Ponyboy and Johnny return home, Darry knows he messed up with Ponyboy. He apologizes to Ponyboy, and begs for forgiveness. 

Of course, Ponyboy has already forgiven him.

Sometimes we’re like Darry and have to apologize. 

Other times we are like Ponyboy, and have to forgive others.

That feeling in your chest, that guilt that just builds up as time passes, and stays there until we finally let it go, and forgive ourselves and apologize to whoever it was with. 

Like in Matthew 18, where Jesus talks about forgiving someone 77 times. Not just once, or twice, but 77 times. 

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, (Matthew 18:21-35) Jesus tells a story about a King, who’s servant owes him tens of thousands of dollars. The servant doesn’t have enough, so he begs the King for forgiveness, and the King lets it go. He forgives the servant.

But of course, later on in the story, the servant realizes someone owes him a certain amount of money, and makes that person pay him back. 

The king finds out about what the servant had done, confronts him, and later has the servant be put in prison.

Sometimes it’s people you need to apologize to. But other times, it’s actually God who you need to apologize to.

Why apologize to God if He’s already forgiven me?

Well, He wants to hear from you. 

He wants to talk to you about it. 

He loves you, and cares for you, so whatever you’ve done wrong, He is waiting for you. 

No matter how horrible your life might seem, and how much you’ve messed up, God has forgiven you. There is nothing you can do for Him not to forgive  you. He loves you that much.

Jesus has forgiven you, and you have to forgive others, because that’s what He calls you to do.

Ephesians 4:32– Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Written by: Hannah Grace