Daniel 3:25,
34-43 / Matthew 18:21-35
Jesus speaks
about forgiveness
“Forgive seventy-seven times. ”
Tommy Pigage was
drunk when he hit and killed Ted Morris of Kentucky. Ted was the only son of
Mrs. Elizabeth Morris.
The death of her
only son left Elizabeth stunned and angry.
Tommy pleaded
guilty, was convicted, and was ordered to give talks to high school students on
behalf of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers).
One day Elizabeth
went to hear Tommy speak. She heard him say with heartfelt emotion that he
“murdered Ted” and should be behind bars for what he did. Elizabeth said, “I
didn’t want my son’s death to be totally in vain.
And, in my heart, I
knew that if he could, Ted would tell us to forgive Tommy.” Today Elizabeth and
Tommy are friends.
***
How forgiving are
we toward others? “They who forgive most will be most forgiven.” (Joseph W.
Bailey) (ML)
****
Most of us have
this experience of lending money to people. And most of the time, we end up so
frustrated and feel like banging our heads against the wall. Because we lent
the money so easily, but it came back to us with so much difficulty and so
slowly, if ever at all. And of course, the higher the amount of money lent, the
greater the frustration and the heart-ache. So when it comes to talking about
forgiveness, Jesus did not talk in abstract terms.
He used this experience of loans and payment.
Immediately, we will know what it means to forgive. It is almost
synonymous to writing off a debt.
But to be able to write off a debt, it means that we have come to the
realization and enlightenment that there is something beyond money.
Only then can we let go and move on.
Similarly, to forgive someone who had done us great harm and hurt us
grievously, it means that we have come to the realization and enlightenment
that there is something greater beyond the anger, the pain and the hate.
Let us pray for this realization and enlightenment.
Because it is a special grace from God. It is
His healing love that is being poured into our hearts. (SY)
