Tough order

To forgive seventy times seven times! Tough order indeed. God can and does it. But we are not God. Can we do it? Jesus in today’s Gospel message insists that we can. “Peter came up and asked Jesus, ‘Lord, when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive him? Seven times?’ ‘No’, Jesus replied, ‘not seven times; I say, seventy times seven times’” (Mt. 18: 21-22).

Christ, the God-Man, inspires each one of us to be God-like, if we really want to be his disciples all the way. After all the rejections and persecutions that he suffered in life, what did he say as he hung on the cross? “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Lk. 23: 34)

How many times in the past has God forgiven you for your wrong doings? And how many more times will he forgive you until your last day here on earth? Seventy-times seven times, because he loves you unconditionally. Yes, this is how much you are loved by God. And it is a heartfelt and habitual awareness of this that will lead you to love in return, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. This in turn will motivate you to forgive, not seven times, but seventy-times seven times.

There is this couple who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Both are in their mid-seventies, but still strong and healthy. And what is even more amazing and admirable is their being still very much together, after so many years of ups-and-downs, serious marital conflicts, psycho-emotional and relational crises. Their basic personality types were psychologically incompatible, and they found it most difficult to complement each other’s personal needs. Their families of origin came from opposite directions, as far as customs, traditions, and behavioral patterns were concerned. In fact, I myself years ago thought that they would end up separating. How on earth did they succeed in still staying together, up to this day? Was it just for the sake of the children, or a fear of what other people would say?

Now I know how it happened. Underneath their incredible differences and incompatibilities, there was still a basic love for each other, which continually motivated them to forgive each other, not only seven times, but seventy times seven times. They are no less than a living miracle! And every miracle is an intervention of the ever-loving and ever-forgiving God.

At times, God intervenes through the wisdom of mere children. This is evident, not only in our own culture, but in other cultures as well. Allow me to single out one such happening.

A six-year-old boy was trying to build an elaborate tower out of his set of blocks. But the blocks kept toppling over…again and again. In utter frustration, he screamed: “Stupid, dumb, crummy…” and kicked the pile of blocks across the room. His mother has had enough of his behavior and dragged him off to bed. “No, I don’t wanna go to bed! Waah!” he protested, but the mother would have none of it. “To bed? now!”

As his exhausted mother was about to turn off the light, the son, tucked in his bed, asked, “Mom, are you not going to kiss me goodnight?” “To tell you the truth, son, when you act like that…I just don’t feel like kissing you at all!” “But Mom,” the son pleaded, “that’s when I need it the most!” (From Connections for Sept. 2011).

Let’s move from children to adults, this time of the worst kind. Criminals. We have many inmates at the Bilibid Prison in Muntinglupa who are serving their terms. What is significant is that the institution is a penitentiary, which means the prisoners are ministered to by devoted prison chaplains, who are leading them back to God and God’s ways as they serve their prison terms. It is very inspiring to note how many of them are repentant, and have become very close to the Lord because they feel forgiven by Him. God’s love and forgiveness that convert the human heart, which in turn also learns to love and forgive others. The label criminal no longer applies to these converts. They are now disciples of the loving and forgiving God, even as they continue to serve the rest of their prison terms. It is significant to note that in our country, the death sentence has been abolished. Let us continue to pray and support our prison chaplains so that more and more of the Bilibid inmates will be converted in this manner through God’s amazing grace. The institution is rightly called a penitentiary, a home for forgiven penitents, and no longer criminals. 

God’s law of love is manifested in limitless forgiveness. What a difference it can make if we follow this in our lives. Unforgiveness is a heavy burden to carry in our hearts. What a life of inner peace and freedom if we are liberated from this. Let us commit ourselves to it while we have the time, before it is too late.