Forgive without limits: Revenge makes difficult the act of forgiveness
God offered us mercy not judgment. Our response therefore must be our heart-felt repentance and faith in him. God’s mercy comes to us through the blood shed by Jesus on the cross.
During his life here on earth, Jesus made an ultimate sacrifice by giving his life for us so that we can always be assured of forgiveness.
The fruit of this sacrifice is that When God looks at us and sees the blood of Jesus covering us, he responds with mercy.
However offended he might be, however much our sins might have hurt the sacred heart of Jesus, God’s heart always softens when he sees a child of his washed in Jesus’ blood. That is when his judgment yields to mercy and he no longer would condemn us rather he forgives us.
Have you experienced the mercy of God? Have you ever been touched by the kindness of the sacred heart of Jesus?
You know you have experienced it if you feel compelled to think and act with mercy to those around you.
We have been rescued from eternal death undeservedly. What else can we do but show that same mercy to those who sin against us? When we forgive one another, we are ushering in God’s Kingdom to our world.
It is understandable, that it is always difficult to forgive the first time not to talk of a continuous act of forgiveness especially towards the same person when it hurts badly.
Mostly, our natural reaction towards hurts would be immediate revenge. But, revenge makes difficult the act of forgiveness.
No wonder Peter, in our gospel reading today (Matthew 18:21-35), wanted to know from Jesus if there can be any limit to our forgiving heart? Whether there can be a time when we say it is enough, I cannot forgive again, I’m getting my pound of flesh?
When Peter asked Jesus if it was enough to forgive seven times, he was trying to show that he was willing to make a big effort. Yes, truly a big effort!
To forgive seven times is a lot but, unfortunately, it can be counted.
Jesus, says real forgiveness should be a permanent attribute of our heart. You cannot put a limit on it.
Real forgiveness should come from the heart. It is a Heart-to-heart transaction. Forgiveness must be offered and received with all our hearts. So he said, not seven but Seventy times seven!
Forgiving without counting goes beyond our understanding. We think it is reasonable to forgive somebody a few times, because, beyond that, we may risk being taken for a fool.
Jesus does not want us to put any limit on the forgiveness we offer and receive from each other.
Our attitudes, especially as Christians ought to be “I forgive as often as I feel the hurt and I do it from my heart.”
Because To forgive means setting ourselves free and unlocking opportunities for future glory!
To forgive means to give others the chance to start their lives anew. So it is about our freedom and then about the others as well.
To forgive means staying ahead of our personal weaknesses and idiosyncrasies.
Friends, to be experienced fully the forgiveness that God freely gives is to be shared freely with others. This is expressed many times in the scriptures. For instance In the “Lord’s prayer’, we ask God to forgive us as we forgive others (Mt 6:5).
In Matthew 10:8, Jesus tells his disciples as they go out on a mission “Freely you have received, freely you shall give”.
In Romans 5:21, St. Paul will says later that where sin abounds grace abounds even more to wipe it away.
Listen, If it is all a gift it is to be shared freely rather than to be kept jealously for oneself.
In the sacrament of reconciliation that is, when we go for confession we experience the limitless forgiveness of our heavenly father that is why we are not afraid to confess our sins. But how tolerant and forgiving are we of the faults of those who live with us every day?
That is where we can begin to show that we are trying to face up to the challenge Jesus lays before us to set no boundaries to our love for others in the same way that God sets no boundaries to his love for us.
Let us pray:
God, our Father, we ask you to accept our prayers. Accept us also as we are with all our faults and failings. Forgive us our offenses in the same measure as we forgive those who have offended us. Help us to remember always that we cannot be forgiven unless we are willing to forgive.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Happy Sunday 🤩
Fr. James Anyaegbu
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