The Funny Greek Word

“Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37)

There are many funny sounding words in the English language.  For example, do you remember when older people would call younger people “whippersnappers”?  Or how about the word “lollygag” to describe when someone messes around doing things that are not useful. 

So, allow me to give you another strange sounding word from the Greek language.  It is the word apoloo’oh.  Kind of a crazy word that sounds like a dish that should be served at a Hawaiian luau.  In the book of Acts the word is used to speak of the disciples “sending away” the other disciples on their journey (Acts 13:3).  When those disciples were sent on their journey, they laid hands on them, prayed for them, escorted them out of the city, or sent them off on ships.  Once the disciples were out of sight, they were gone to do their mission.  That was the process of the word apoloo’oh.  

But the word apoloo’oh carries a very significant meaning for us today.  It is the Greek word for forgiveness.  When we want to forgive someone, we tend to make the process a struggle in our hearts.  We pray and try to convince ourselves that we forgive; but ultimately that bitter spirit at times consumes our mind and floods our eyes with tears.  However, the Greek teaches us that forgiveness is much more than an emotional struggle.  The Greek teaches us that we, like God, are not required to overlook the sin of others.  No, God wants us to send their sin away, just as he too sent our sin away through the death of Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness is the act of actively sending the sin or issue into the hands of God, never to take it back again.  Not overlooking it but literally sending it out of our life and into the hands of God once and for all.  Sending away the offense, hurt, and wound to God.  Not allowing Satan or our insecurities to drag it back into our life again.

Have you ever wondered if perhaps God might be unable to deal with those who have sinned against us – to deal with the pain they have caused us – because we have not sent their sin against us away into his hands?  Have you ever thought that until we do that, our pain will not heal?  This is radical forgiveness, but if we can’t send the sins of others off, we will spend our life spiraling down into a whirlwind of bitterness and much sorrow.  Freedom is found only in what Christ can and will do.  So, take your bitterness and in prayer put it on a ship and send it off into the horizon into the hands of God, never to see it or contemplate it again.    

                                                      Darlene