Much of the world, was recently transfixed by an Australian murder case. A Sunday lunch resulted in three deaths and one near-death. The sole survivor was the husband of one of the victims and a local church pastor. He gave a victim impact statement at sentencing and offered forgiveness to the murderer of his wife and friends.
This is the Christian gospel in action. Pastor Ian Wilkinson was doing what other believers have done before and since.
Forgiveness is a central feature of Christianity. It is a sharp contrast from the patterns of vengeance and hatred that shape much human response to evil. Vengeance and hate divide people. They sow seeds of generational hostility. Forgiveness heals and leaves the world a better place.
Let’s think about forgiveness.
In the Lord’s Prayer Christians pray “… forgive us our sins as we have also forgiven those who sin against us” (Matt 6:12). Jesus then adds a note that our act to forgive others is a necessary part of receiving God’s forgiveness. We are called to forgive others as we have been forgiven and because we have been forgiven by God in Christ.
Does Christian forgiveness mean that evil goes unpunished? No indeed! Where the evil is also a criminal act, the civil ruler has a duty and power of punishment (Rom 13:3-4) and so judicial processes run their course. Even when the evil is not criminal, the evildoer faces the just judgement of God (Rom 12:19). Justice is still done as the moral order of the universe is preserved.
In forgiveness, mercy comes alongside justice. The Christian victim of evil done by others is not only to refrain from vengeance but is called to love their enemy and even to care for their needs (Matt 5:43-45; Rom 12:20-21).
Forgiveness is hard and we should not underestimate the difficulty of forgiving someone who has murdered a loved one. What can motivate and enable this difficult act?
Christian forgiveness is rooted in the Cross of Jesus. The one person who did not deserve judgement prayed this for his killers: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Forgiveness of others is an act of mercy that imitates God’s mercy and is motivated by it. It is a recognition that we are all sinners who deserve God’s judgement. It is a grace-enabled act of paying forward the grace of God to forgive those who confess, repent and believe. The mercy of forgiveness goes beyond justice (an eye for an eye) and beyond vengeance (two eyes for an eye). It is an act of gospel generosity that frees the forgiver from a root of bitterness (Heb 12:14-15) and frees the forgiven for a fresh start.
Forgiveness shows that we are followers of Jesus.
David Burke,
Moderator-General,
October 2025.
