Matthew 6:5-15
The LORD's Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Luke 5:17-26
Jesus Forgives Others
17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Matthew 18:21-22
Jesus on Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
As we read the four gospels, we learn that there are different facets in forgiving...And when Jesus walked the earth, He commonly went around forgiving people...And He forgave people He had never met (which in itself is very unusual)...It is in His Nature to forgive...One day when He say the faith of some friends carrying a paralyzed man He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."...The paralyzed one had been a victim of sorts of his illness...And Jesus just forgave him of all his sins, as his friends carried the paralyzed one toward Him...Jesus did not just believe in forgiving a person just one time...When Peter ask Jesus about how many times he should forgive a brother who sinned against him, he thought maybe seven times...Jesus said, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."...In the LORD's Prayer, His Prayer we learn that if we forgive others when they sin against us, then our heavenly Father will also forgive us...From Jesus we learn the Great Power of Forgiveness...
Eva Kor died this week...This is known for surviving the holocaust and she started is the founder of CANDLES Holocaust Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana...She also was an author...And she is this great example of forgiveness...She was a twin, with her sister named Miriam, who helped her start the museum...Miriam also was a holocaust survivor...
On the Candles Holocaust Museum web site is her definition of forgiveness...She believed that forgiveness can help one heal, and she believes in the power of forgiveness...She sees forgiveness a part of a healing process, and as you read about what she says about forgiveness, she is specific about victims of abuse, problems that happen in war with our soldiers, prisoners, and children who do not get loving and nurturing parents and care, who many could be helped with the power of forgiveness...
On the web site Eva's Definition of Forgiveness is described and written about...Below is from her CANDLES's website...
“My Forgiveness” by Eva Kor
Forgiveness is a way of healing oneself from pain, trauma, and tragedy...It is a means of self-liberation and self-empowerment...
Forgiving is not forgetting...In many cases, it is impossible to forget events that deeply affect our lives...They shape our lives for better or for worse...
Forgiving does not mean we condone the evil deeds of the Nazis or other perpetrators...But in some cases, giving amnesty clears the issue for the victim...The question of justice is separate from the issue of forgiveness...
This concept of forgiveness has little or nothing to do with the perpetrator...It has everything to do with the need of victims to be free from the pain inflicted upon them...
This concept of forgiveness has nothing to do with any religion...All people yearn to live free of the pain and burden of the past...If it is confined to one religion, then some people will not be able to access it...
Each person can forgive only in his or her name...One cannot forgive in the name of all Holocaust survivors...Forgiveness is a very personal thing, but if we feel troubled and hurt by learning about the victimization of others, then we have the right to take action...
When we live in a place where our lives are in direct danger, the mindset of survival sets in, and survival and forgiveness do not go together...We can forgive only after the violence has ended, and the victim is at peace with his or her surroundings and wants to heal that chapter of his or her life...
However, forgiveness can prevent future violence...We can teach people that, when they are hurting, instead of acting out of pain they can heal themselves through forgiveness...
Forgiveness is more than just letting go...It is proactive rather than passive...We become victims involuntarily, when a person or entity with power takes away our power to use our mind or body or both...Something was done to us that put us in a position of feeling powerless...Thus, the conscious choice to forgive provides healing, liberation, and reclamation of this lost power...
I would like to share some more ideas about forgiveness...
Forgiveness unclutters one’s mind and life, permitting us to view the world through unobstructed vision, see the beauty around us, be open to new positive experiences, and embrace the wonderful people in the wonderful world that we meet...If we did not forgive, we would not be able to experience these feelings...
Forgiveness is like a prescription or medicine for physical health and well-being...If we stay angry, this anger poisons our lives and our health...Some people say that the perpetrators don’t deserve forgiveness...That might be so, but if we can heal them and make them into loving, caring human beings, and therefore improve life for everyone in the world, I don’t see a problem with it...
Forgiveness in my opinion brings serenity, healing, respect, freedom, peace, and love...Let’s see what the opposition brings: pain, anger, revenge, and war...Forgiveness provides the choice to live in peace and be happy instead...
It would be nice if the great organization of the United Nations, with the upcoming anniversary in December 2018, 70 years to the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, would add an addendum...The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a beautiful document, but it does not have anything for victims who have already been hurt...I think it should include that every human being has the human right 1. To be happy and 2. To live free of the pain and burden imposed on them by life or society...It would really help people if that came from an organization like the United Nations...
I would like to make an effort to use forgiveness in prisons. I believe that most of these prisoners were not born to spend their days in prison or to commit a crime...So my question is, were many of these prisoners victims before they became prisoners?...I would say it is quite possible that every unhealed victim has the potential to become a perpetrator...
I also would like to help and have programs for veterans who have been trained to defend their lives on the battlefield, but they have never been able to heal themselves from that they have seen, experienced, or done...And the post-traumatic stress that they carry with them for years could begin to be dealt with through forgiveness sessions and workshops...
I find it sad, and it pains me to know, that children who were born in the wrong place and the wrong time, who don’t get loving and nurturing families, can often end up in juvenile centers...We want to help them and teach them that it’s 1. The situations in which they grew up are not their fault and 2. There is something they can do about it...We would teach them that forgiveness is a skill that will heal them...We cannot change their past, but we can teach them how to cope with it better...
And as I have been talking to Dr. Robert Enright in Madison, Wisconsin, he would like to start teaching forgiveness in first grade as a skill for life...And I agree with him 100%...
Let’s work together to heal the world through forgiveness...Not bullets, not bombs...Just forgiveness...
“Anger is a seed for war...Forgiveness is a seed for peace.”...