FORGIVENESS

During Jesus time on earth, not less than one time He reminds his followers about forgiving each fellow man. An illustration He made: If a man hurts you seven times a day. Each time that man hurts you he asks for forgiveness. Jesus said, you must forgive that person. A little bit curious, Peter asked: "Does it mean that we must forgive a person up to seven times a day?" Jesus replied: "Not only seven times but seventy times seven times."

From this message we learn a lesson that we must forgive each others' sin continuously without any condition. Often we human being have conditions in forgiving others. The first time a person hurts us, we say: its alright. The second time, we said: you should be careful. The third time he hurts, we said to him: Don't you ever hurt me again or else I will hurt you back. This situation happens to each and everyone of us. Our condition of forgiving others is limited to three times.

Let us think about Jesus when He was hang on the cross where people hurled curses on him beside hurting his body. Do you know what was His reply? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." In the same way when Stephen was stoned to death. Before he breathed his last he cried out in a loud voice: "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." Jesus and Stephen set two examples for us to follow. Not to keep people's wrong deeds but to be reconciled to each other.

Forgive means to humble oneself to each other or to say "sorry". If we submit ourselves to each other as Jesus submit himself by allowing people to nail him on the cross, there will be peace in this world.

Finally, learn to forgive and to bless others.