The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
Week 8: "On Forgiveness"
Read Essay 8: "On Forgiveness" in The Weight of Glory. Key Scripture: Matthew 6:12-15; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13.
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In perhaps the shortest essay in the collection, Lewis unpacks one of the most counterintuitive and demanding commands of the Christian life with characteristic precision and personal honesty. There is no escape from what he says here — only the grace to face it.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Lewis begins by noting that Christians often say they believe in forgiveness without thinking through what it actually means. What does Lewis say it really means — what specifically are we committing to when we say we forgive someone?
2.Lewis draws the important distinction between excusing and forgiving. We excuse what was not really wrong ("he couldn't help it"); we forgive what was genuinely wrong. Why is this distinction so important, and what goes wrong spiritually when we blur it?
a.Can you think of a time when you told yourself you had forgiven someone when you had actually just found an excuse for them? What was the difference?
b.Is there someone in your life right now whom you need to genuinely forgive — as opposed to excuse?
3.Lewis links forgiving others to the petition in the Lord's Prayer — "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." He notes with characteristic bluntness that this petition, literally understood, is terrifying. What does it do to your understanding of this prayer?
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