HOW CAN WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO HURT US?
Summary
TLDRIn the sixth chapter of The Gospel, According to Saint Matthew, Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, stating that God will forgive us if we forgive others. This message carries both hope and a warning: without forgiveness, we risk losing God's mercy. The script urges us to consider the transient nature of our hurts against the eternal consequences of holding grudges. It calls for courage to forgive, as it is a reflection of God's forgiveness and a key to our eternal future. The Church Fathers advise on overcoming the desire for retribution by recognizing the triviality of our offenses and the eternal impact of our refusal to forgive. The Holy Spirit's work within us can transform and empower us to forgive, love, and show mercy.
Takeaways
- π Jesus' words in Matthew's Gospel emphasize the importance of forgiveness and its direct correlation with receiving God's forgiveness.
- π The message serves as both an encouragement and a warning, highlighting the need for hope and the potential consequences of unforgiveness.
- π Forgiveness is a sign of mercy, and those who show mercy can expect to receive it from God, according to Christ's teachings.
- βοΈ The refusal to forgive others can lead to a loss of hope for mercy and forgiveness from God during the final judgment.
- π The cycle of pain and hurt can be difficult to break, and dwelling on past wrongs can impede our ability to forgive and receive forgiveness.
- π The Church Fathers suggest that recognizing the triviality of many hurts and the magnitude of our own sins can aid in the process of forgiveness.
- β³ The temporal nature of the hurts we suffer is contrasted with the eternal consequences of our refusal to forgive, which can affect our soul's condition.
- π Forgiveness is not just a one-time act but a continuous process that requires courage and strength, often likened to bearing a cross.
- π The call to forgive is a central aspect of the Christian life, and it is through forgiveness that we can hope to receive God's mercy and love.
- π Trusting in God's love and mercy, and seeking His strength to forgive, is essential for spiritual growth and aligning with Christ's teachings.
Q & A
What is the central message of Jesus' words in the sixth chapter of The Gospel, According to Saint Matthew?
-The central message is that forgiveness is a reciprocal act: if you forgive others, God will forgive you, but if you refuse to forgive, you cannot expect mercy from God.
What does the script suggest as a reason to have hope in the context of forgiveness?
-The reason to have hope is that Christ assures us that if we forgive others, we will find mercy from God.
How does the script describe the warning associated with Jesus' words on forgiveness?
-The warning is stark and should shake us from complacency, indicating that if we refuse to forgive, we cannot hope for forgiveness from God on the day of judgment.
What role does the Lord's Prayer play in the discussion of forgiveness in the script?
-The Lord's Prayer serves as a reminder of the connection between our forgiveness of others and God's forgiveness of us, as it includes the phrase 'forgive us our debts, as we forgive others'.
According to the script, what can the cycle of pain and hurt do to our psychology?
-The cycle of pain and hurt can cause us to become trapped in revisiting past and present hurts, making it difficult to break free and potentially leading to a desire for vengeance or retribution.
What advice do the Church Fathers offer to help with the process of forgiveness?
-The Church Fathers advise us to remind ourselves of the trivial nature of many hurts and the vastness of our own sins, comparing what we forgive in others with what we hope to be forgiven by God.
Why do the Church Fathers say that the hurts committed against us have no eternal bearing on our soul?
-The Church Fathers assert that the hurts committed against us are transient and will end with death, having no impact on our eternal soul or judgment.
What is the potential eternal consequence of refusing to forgive according to the script?
-Refusing to forgive can result in an eternal evil against our soul, marking it with an evil that we carry into judgment.
How does the script encourage us to view the temporary nature of the hurts we experience?
-The script encourages us to weigh the temporary evil committed against us against the eternal evil we commit by refusing to forgive, and to consider the eternal consequences of our actions.
What does the script suggest we should do when we struggle to forgive others?
-When struggling to forgive, the script suggests asking God to soften our hearts and to trust in God's love, protection, and mercy.
What role does the Holy Spirit play in our ability to forgive according to the script?
-The Holy Spirit is described as the transformative force within us that gives us the strength to forgive, love, and show mercy, working through God's grace.
Outlines
π Forgiveness and Divine Mercy
In the sixth chapter of The Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, stating that if we forgive others, God will forgive us. This is both a message of hope and a stern warning. The hope lies in the promise of mercy from God for those who show mercy, while the warning cautions that those who refuse to forgive will not receive forgiveness on the Day of Judgment. The passage also touches on the psychological struggle of letting go of past hurts and the human tendency to dwell on grievances. It suggests that the desire for vengeance or retribution can prevent us from receiving God's forgiveness. The Church Fathers offer guidance on how to cultivate forgiveness, reminding us of the triviality of our own sins compared to the enormity of God's forgiveness, and the transient nature of the hurts we suffer in life.
π The Eternal Consequences of Forgiveness
This paragraph delves into the eternal implications of our choice to forgive or not. The Church Fathers remind us that the hurts we suffer are transient and have no eternal bearing on our soul. However, our refusal to forgive can mark our soul with an evil that may be eternal. They encourage us to consider the temporary nature of the wrongs done to us against the eternal state of our soul, which we will present before God on Judgment Day. The passage calls us to reflect on the eternal consequences of our actions, to weigh the temporary against the eternal, and to seek the grace to forgive as a means of aligning ourselves with God's mercy. It also speaks to the courage required to forgive and the transformative power of God's grace in enabling us to forgive and show mercy.
π The Cross of Forgiveness
The final paragraph highlights the difficulty and the necessity of forgiveness, likening it to taking up a cross. It acknowledges the pain and struggle involved in letting go of hurts and the natural human inclination to seek justice or retribution. The passage encourages us to remember that even Christ, who suffered greatly, showed mercy. It calls for trust in God and reliance on His love, protection, and mercy. It suggests that our desire for vengeance is worldly and transient, while our willingness to forgive is eternal. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to ask God to soften our hearts, enabling us to love and forgive, even when it seems a difficult burden to bear.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Forgiveness
π‘Mercy
π‘Trespasses
π‘Judgment
π‘Vengeance
π‘Retribution
π‘Church Fathers
π‘Eternal
π‘Cross
π‘Holy Spirit
Highlights
Jesus' words in Matthew 6 emphasize the importance of forgiveness as a path to receiving God's mercy.
Forgiveness is presented as both a hopeful promise and a stern warning against complacency.
The Lord's Prayer is cited as a model for seeking forgiveness and offering it to others.
The emotional cycle of holding onto past hurts is acknowledged as a common human struggle.
Vengeance and retribution are contrasted with the need for forgiveness, highlighting the spiritual danger of the former.
The Church Fathers are introduced as guides to understanding the soul's depth and the path to forgiveness.
A reminder to consider the triviality of our offenses against the vastness of our own sins is offered as a perspective for forgiveness.
The temporal nature of the hurts we suffer is contrasted with the eternal consequences of our refusal to forgive.
The eternal impact of our forgiveness or lack thereof on our soul's condition before God is emphasized.
The Church Fathers advise on the importance of recognizing the transient nature of worldly offenses.
The potential for eternal harm to our souls through holding grudges is a central warning.
The opportunity to repent and forgive while we are alive is highlighted as a precious gift from God.
The call to forgive others as a reflection of God's mercy and forgiveness towards us is reiterated.
Forgiveness is described as a courageous act that may require strength and the cross to bear.
The transformative power of God's grace and the Holy Spirit in enabling forgiveness is discussed.
The choice to dwell in anger or to forgive is presented as a pivotal decision with eternal consequences.
A call to trust in God's love, protection, and mercy, setting aside worldly desires for retribution.
The challenge to soften our hearts and glimpse love for others, despite the pain they may have caused, is issued.
The stark and frightening nature of Christ's warning is acknowledged, yet hope in God's transformative love is upheld.
Transcripts
in the sixth chapter of The Gospel
According to Saint Matthew we have the
words of Jesus where he says if you
forgive man their trespasses
God will forgive you
if you forgive man their trespasses
God will forgive you
in these words of Jesus
we should hear both an encouragement
a reason to have hope
but also a very Stark warning
a warning that should make us shake and
tremble she 'll Shake us from our
complacency
it is a statement of Hope because Christ
assures us that if we forgive
we will find Mercy
God will show Mercy to all those who are
merciful
but it is a warning
a warning that if we choose to refuse to
forgive
we cannot hope to expect mercy and
forgiveness from God on the day of
judgment
as we rush to that moment of our death
as we rush to the moment of judgment
let us remember
we cannot simply be casual we cannot
simply say oh well God is so loving God
is so forgiving everything will be fine
God says to us if you forgive
I will forgive Jesus taught us in the
Lord's Prayer forgive us our debts
as we forgive others
when we think of this when we think of
our hurts
sometimes
the cycle of pain in our emotions our
psychology
can go round and round for years as we
contemplate as we remember the hurts
past and present
the people have committed against us
and sometimes that cycle is very
difficult to break out of
and sometimes
we can get comfortable
in this experience of revisiting those
hurts
but Jesus makes it very clear
if we have a desire for vengeance if we
have a desire for Retribution if we
cling to hatred for anything that
someone has done to us
we make ourselves incapable of receiving
God's forgiveness
how can this not but make us tremble
who can look at themselves
and with all honesty not see any desire
or anger for something
somebody has done to us and desire some
kind of Retribution for this even in
some small way to be shown to be right
to be shown
to be
unjustly treated
that desire for justice for ourselves
can lead to condemnation of others
and as weak human beings
we may look at this and say how then can
anyone be saved
how can we hope
to find forgiveness when we know so
often we lack forgiveness ourselves
the church fathers those
great psychologists
not of the mind so much as the soul the
true depths of the human being
they tell us
there are roots to this forgiveness
there are ways we can think there are
ways to look at other people and what
they do that will help us to forgive
Church fathers tell us first of all
we should constantly remind ourselves of
the the trivial nature of so many of
these hurts the reality of what it is we
we constantly remember
trivial nature of those hurts that we
condemn others for
and the the vastness of our own sins the
vastness of a lifetime of hurt committed
against God of Disobedience of rebellion
when we compare them
when we compare what we are called to
forgive in others with what we hope to
be forgiven by God
how can we
but not
tremble
at our own Injustice in the way that we
treat other people compared with what we
hope for from God
it is we who are being unjust
but there is another important factor in
this
the church fathers say to us
everything that is committed against us
in this life
has no
Eternal existence
it will have no Eternal bearing on our
soul what other people do to us even
when those hurts have gone on for many
years even if those hurts last a
lifetime
a death they will come to an end
the hurts committed against by others
transient
the church fathers remind us
they can have no bearing on our
condition a judgment but
if we choose
to refuse to forgive
we we commit an evil against our soul
that may be eternal
we enter judgment
with this evil that we
have marked our soul with
the harm that we can do ourselves by
refusing to forgive
it can be eternal
the Church Father say to us let us
Ponder the reality of this
when we are feeling annoyed angry
Desiring some kind of Justice
let us remember that these things will
pass
but what we are doing the condition of
our soul
will be what we bring before God on
Judgment Day
and it will be eternal
so let us weigh up the temporary
temporary evil committed against us
against the Eternal evil that we commit
and let us think of all those people who
through the generations
have refused to forgive and are now dead
how they would long for even an hour a
moment of life to repent and to forgive
others that they may find Mercy
we are here now we have breath we have
life
in his mercy God has given us this life
that we may lay hold of his Mercy
lay hold of his forgiveness
and part of the way that we do this is
by showing forgiveness for others now
this is our calling now in this life
let us hear the words of Jesus
if you forgive others their trespasses
God will have mercy and forgive you
this is the time
that decides our future our Eternal
future
so long as we have breath so long as as
the heart beats
we can forgive
in our prayers
let us always ask God to strengthen us
to give us the courage and strength to
forgive others
and it takes courage at times
because to forgive can be a cross that
we take up
it can be crucifixion
it can be to face Injustice
face the pain
and to be willing to try to love to try
to forgive
to try to pray for that person's
salvation
when they've caused us so much pain
what a cross it is to take up
what a heroic demand it makes on us
this is the Christian calling
this this warning that Christ gives is
Stark and it's frightening
but we must have hope
we have hope that in his love for us
God's grace will work in us will
transform us will give us the strength
to forgive to love to show Mercy
this is the work of the Holy Spirit
within us
but we can deny this very work that God
does in US deny the grace of God by
refusing to ref to forgive we can choose
state of mind that dwells in this anger
the dwells in feelings of longing of
Retribution
let's put these things aside let us
trust in God
Place ourselves entirely in the love
protection and mercy of God
these things that we long for that are
sinful
are of the world
they are of the world and they will pass
and they will be nothing
our willingness or unwillingness to
forgive
is eternal
if we struggle to forgive
then let us ask God to soften our hearts
often our hearts with his grace
soften our hearts
to even begin to Glimpse love for others
yes it is a kind of cross that we are
called to lift
and at times
it may seem too difficult
when our mind lingers on those pains
those hurts it may seem so difficult to
take up this cross
but let us remember
we have heard Christ more than anyone
has hurt us
and even in the face of this hurt
Christ is willing to show Mercy
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