Matthew 5:21-26
Settle Matters Quickly and Forgive Quickly
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Matthew 6:12-15
Forgive Others and God Will Forgive You
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.
Matthew 5:43-48
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 22:34-40
The Greatest Commandment is All About LOVE
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Just imagine a world where we could immediately forgive someone after they harmed us or done something wrong to us or our family or our friends...What a great world that would be, if everyone could forgive everyone on the spot and immediately...
Jesus is able to forgive us very quickly, that is a Great Attribute of Jesus, that is being able to forgive someone so quickly...On the other hand, we seem in our forgiving others as a process, if and when we are able to forgive...And sometimes, we do not forgive, or it can take us a very long time...
Love and forgiveness is tightly linked...
Jesus taught many things on forgiveness...In His LORD's Prayer He teaches us that God will forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven the debts of our debtors...For when we forgive other people when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will also forgive us...But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins...So it is very important that we learn to forgive...And when He was asked about the Greatest Commandment, He teaches us that it is to love God and to love our neighbors...
So Jesus and His Father wants us to not only love others, but also to forgive and to forgive quicker than what we do...God wants our world to be in harmony and for it to be in harmony, we must love each and every neighbor we have...God wants us to love each other and in doing this we must learn to forgive...Love and forgiveness goes hand in hand...We cannot have a world in which we love everyone, unless we know how to forgive...So when Jesus tells us to love our enemies, we must forgive them...When Jesus went around forgiving others, He was teaching us about love and ,of course, teaching us about forgiveness...
When He taught us that if we forgive others the wrongs they have done to us then our Father in heaven will also forgive us...And He taught if our brother sins, rebuke him, and if then, if he repents, forgive him...And when we stand and pray, forgive anything you may have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive the wrongs you have done...