Forgive and be forgiven

Let’s face it, sometimes people suck. Even the ones you love and trust can stab you in the back. People can bring as much pain into your life as they can bring happiness. But you know what? You’re ‘people’ too.

See, everyone assumes that they would never hurt the people they love, because we love them, right? We say things like “I would never do something like that to you”. But how do we know if this is ultimately true? Are we all- knowing as God is? Can we see the future? Don’t you have memories of your younger self promising that you would never do something, but you ended up doing it anyway? See, that’s what it means to be human. We make mistakes. And sometimes, others have to pay for these mistakes.

Likewise, others make mistakes too. And when we’re on the receiving end, it always feels like they are the worst person on the planet. But if they make mistakes just like we do, wouldn’t that make us equally as bad? We must rise above the feelings of hurt, and react with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not with emotion.

Let’s take a look at what Jesus has to say about this. After sharing the infamous Lord’s Prayer during his sermon on the Mount, this is how he concludes in Matthew 6: 14-15:

- For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Jesus is teaching us to refrain from being hypocritical. He explains that we are equally in need of forgiveness. God is all-seeing. He knows our deepest, darkest secrets. Things we have done behind closed doors or even thoughts we’ve had that we would never want anyone to know about. If we can willingly accept God’s forgiveness, we must willingly forgive others as well. In fact, he explains that if we can’t forgive others, then we do not deserve the forgiveness of our Father in heaven.

But we must also remember the suffering that Jesus went through in order for us to have the possibility of forgiveness at all. His sacrifice is a gift that allows us to rise above all the pain and suffering we might go through. This helps us understand that even though it hurts to be wronged by others, forgiveness is the only way to reconcile the sins of this world. And if we repay sin with sin, we are only adding to the anguish and destruction that plagues our society.

Author: Jo'ash Munian