Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace

“We need to develop and maintain the ability to forgive. He who lacks the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is good in the worst of us and evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less inclined to hate our enemies ”. - Martin Luther King Jr .: (1929 - April 4, 1968) was an American Christian minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.)

Gospel text: (MT 18: 21-35)

Peter approached Jesus and asked him:
"Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often should i forgive him?
Up to seven times? "
Jesus replied: “I tell you not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That's why the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king
who decided to settle the accounts with his servants.
When he started accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of repaying him, his master ordered that he be sold, together with his wife, his children and all his possessions,
in exchange for debt.
To which the servant fell, paid him homage and said:
"Have patience with me and I will pay you back in full".
The owner of that servant was moved with compassion
she let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant was gone, he found one of his companions
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He grabbed it and started to suffocate it, asking:
"Pay back what you owe".
Falling to his knees, his service companion begged him:
"Be patient with me, and I will pay you back."
But he refused.
Instead, he put him in prison
until he repaid the debt.
Now, when his fellow workers saw what had happened,
they were deeply troubled and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him: “Wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me.
You wouldn't have pitied your service partner,
how did I take pity on you?
Then his master angrily handed him over to the torturers
until he had to repay the entire debt.
So will my heavenly Father to you, a
unless each of you forgive your brother from the heart. "

Forgiveness, if it is real, must affect everything that concerns us. It is something that we must ask, give, receive and give again. Here are some points to consider:

Can you honestly see your sin, feel pain for that sin and say "I'm sorry" for another?

When you are forgiven, what does this do to you? Does it have the effect of making you more merciful to others?

Can you in turn offer the same level of forgiveness and mercy that you hope to receive from God and others?

If you can't answer "Yes" to all of these questions, this story was written for you. It was written for you to help you grow more in the gifts of mercy and forgiveness. These are difficult questions to address but they are essential questions to address if we are to be freed from the burdens of anger and resentment. Anger and resentment weigh heavily on us and God wants us to get rid of them