Burning The Gallows

A few weeks ago, our pastor shared an incredible story of forgiveness and mercy. 

This is a true story, which took place in April in a small town in Iran.  A man had been convicted of killing a 17-year old during a street fight.  He was now sentenced to death by hanging.

The family of the dead boy was in agony.  Especially the mother.  She just could not forgive the man who had taken her son’s life. 

The man is led, blindfolded, onto the gallows and is stood up on a chair.  The noose is placed around his neck.  According to Islamic law, the family of the victim is the one to push the chair out from under the murderer, hanging him and ending his life.

The mother shared with the crowd her ache in missing her son.  She said she could not forgive the man who had done this to their family.

She climbed the steps to where her son’s murdered was standing, up on a chair, noose around his neck.

She asked for a chair to be brought over so she could stand up next to him. 

Then she slapped the man across the face.

She would later tell a reporter, "After that, I felt as if rage vanished within my heart. I felt as if the blood in my veins began to flow again," she said. "I burst into tears and I called my husband and asked him to come up and remove the noose."   She later said, “Vengeance has left my heart.”

This woman, who was holding so much grief in her heart over the death of her son, forgave his murderer.  She set him free.  She let him go down off those gallows to live a life her son would never get to live.

Our pastor asked us the question, “Who do you have up on a chair?”  He was talking about forgiveness and mercy.  How we’ve received it from a compassionate Savior.  How we need to extend it to those who have hurt us.

My first thought was, “Lord, you know there are people who have hurt me.  You know that I have had opportunities to kick the chair out from under them.  But because of Your correction and healing in my life, I have chosen forgiveness and chosen not to kick the chair out from under them.”

The Lord said to me, “Yes, but you still have them up on the gallows.”

And that stopped me cold.

I think forgiveness comes in layers.  I have forgiven people for things they have done to me.  Truly forgiven them.  Prayed for them, asked God to bless them, even.  Not kicked out the chair.

But I have left them up on those gallows.  I’ve secretly hoped in my heart that by leaving them up there, others will see how badly I was treated and will hold them responsible. 

I wasn’t going to kick the chair.  But I was hoping they would suffer for how they hurt me.

So the Lord led me on another layer of forgiveness and healing.  I poured out my heart to the Lord as He helped me climb up on the chair next to them, remove the noose from around their neck, help them down from the gallows and let them go into the crowd.

I released them - again.  They do not owe me anything.  They are free from my desire to see them make amends for what was done to me.

And I knew that I was free at a deeper level than before.  Because if I don’t have them up there on those gallows, then I’m not looking at them, wondering if their day of reckoning will ever come. 

Then the Lord took me one level deeper.  He told me I had to burn the gallows.  I had to allow the Refiner’s fire burn up that part of my heart that craves being validated when wronged.  I can’t let them…or anyone else…back up on the gallows of my heart, so I burnt it down.  They are free.  And so am I.

I could immediately feel the shift in my soul.  I could turn my face fully toward my Savior and walk unhindered into more of what He has for me.

Ephesians 4:31-32 says,

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Forgiveness may come in layers, one step at a time.  That is OK.  We must keep our hearts turned toward the Lord and trust Him with our lives.  Because that is ultimately what forgiveness is – the surrender of our lives and our rights to God, believing that what He has allowed us to go through at the hands of others can still be used for our good and His glory!

So that faint aroma of burning embers I smell?  That’s the smell of freedom and forgiveness.  I am free!!