If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. Matthew 6:14 NABRE
Jesus is teaching what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. His disciples have asked him to teach them how to pray and He has shared with them what we commonly refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. An important aspect of the prayer is forgiveness. In fact there are those that say directly or indirectly forgiveness accounts for almost two thirds of the scriptures. Having taught the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus goes on to share the quoted verse. “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Forgiveness is the one act that gives something to both parties; the one forgiven feels joy and relief and the one who forgives also feels joy and relief. When we forgive we let go of something that has been enslaving us, and we free the other person as well. Forgiveness is a great act of humility. It requires we forget about ourselves, which is rather unnatural. We are created to bring life to others, as parents, as leaders, as Christians. If we are thinking about our self too much it is a sort of sin, because it keeps us from seeing Jesus in the other. If someone does something that hides the goodness in them, we have to put them first, forgive them and let their love shine through. We hope the same happens for us when we offend or need forgiveness.
We are born into a community called the family, we couldn’t survive without our parents and they give everything for us (unless there is some unusual circumstance.) We are not meant to survive on our own, to think of ourselves first; it is unnatural. We are created to think of the other. Usually this requires lots of forgiveness. It is difficult to forgive, but what is difficult is worth it.
Do you forgive freely? Do you put others first?
We are not meant to survive on our own, to think of ourselves first; it is unnatural. We are created to think of the other. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity#dailybibleverse @youversion#BeAnEncourager #forgive #humility#Matthew #everybodyalways #god#jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood#dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture#bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray#prayer #goodnews #loveeachother#godisgreat #thisVineyard#youversion #everythingalways