Some of the things Jesus asked his followers to do were from the realm of the impractical and the impossible. He said it was one thing to love our friends, but he wanted us to love our enemies. Was this before or after they had stopped attaching us? Then he urged his disciples to forgive each other seventy times seven, which in biblical terminology means perpetually. He taught his disciples to pray, “Father forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
So, let’s talk about forgiveness…. When should we forgive someone who has hurt us in some way? Are there any provisos, any preconditions? I think of Jesus forgiving his accusers, even while they were hurling abuse at him, and Stephen forgiving his murders while they were still hurling rocks at him. It seems to me that preconditions have no place in the forgiveness that Jesus asks of us.
So what does this forgiveness entail? Well it seems to have something to do with letting go of the bitterness and resentment inside, making a conscious decision to hold no grudge, even offering up prayers to God for the good of that person.
There will be people in your life who hurt you in some way. Does the bitterness persist? Do you want to see them suffer for what they did? Does the mere thought of them cause you to feel agitated?
It may be time to do something concrete about your unforgiving heart. For example, decide that you will no longer relive in your mind the hurts of the past. Don’t wait for him/her to apologise… take the first step along the path to reconciliation. And recognise that your perspective on what transpired might be just a little biased in your favour.
But is something like this really achievable? Probably not in your own strength… but with Jesus to inspire us, and the Spirit to change us, the impossible does become possible.
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