Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him,“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22)
Forgiveness is not the result of a disciplined control of my reactions and impulses. Forgiveness comes from the generous magnanimity of the person who gives it. A gift is not deserved; rather it helps us to discover the greatness of the giver. We cannot give a gift if it does not come from the treasure of our heart. We should accept it for what it really is; pure gift.
Hearts who are millionaires in forgiveness are those who have received enormous amounts of forgiveness and have generously passed onto others what they themselves have joyfully or sorrowfully experienced.
The forgiveness we receive fills us with joy because it restores to us the bonds of unity with the beloved. At the same time it fills us with profound sorrow when we contemplate the wounds we have caused our beloved and saddens us upon facing our weaknesses and failings.
Jesus is the forgiveness of God our Father. Jesus presents himself as the Way. (see John 14:16) He is the way back home; He is the sorrowful road to forgiveness. That road to forgiveness is painful because it is long (regain confidence), it is painful because it has rugged mountains that seem insurmountable (pride), it is painful because it has many uncertain detours (self esteem) and because it leaves permanent scars (memory).
To learn to use the freedom God has given us permits us to fail even up to seventy times seven. We can fail as many times as necessary for us to learn to forgive the faults of those around us who are just as weak as we are. That is why upon teaching us to pray, Jesus makes us implore our Father to forgive us as we forgive those who offend us. (see Luke 11:14)
When we forgive or when we are forgiven it heals a wound in the body of Christ of which we are an irreplaceable part. Through forgiveness God enables us to participate in this wonderful work of salvation.
A mission this big cannot be accomplished by our mere human strength. Jesus was accused of blasphemy when he dared to offer forgiveness because it was considered a prerogative of God himself. Only the presence of God in our lives enables us to be the echo of that forgiveness without bounds, size or quantity. In the gospels we read that Jesus forgives Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene, Mathew, Peter, the soldiers who flagellate him, etc., all in equal measure because his divine essence is love and divine love is redemptive, it is healing, it is forgiveness.
The Holy Spirit, who is God’s love, made possible the Incarnation of the Eternal Word of God in Mary. He brought Jesus to dwell among us so that he might be the forgiveness of God. Likewise Mary, filled with divine grace, was capable of interceding for us, even as we were crucifying her son, her God. She made her own the words Jesus said from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:24)
Eusebio Elizondo, M.Sp.S., is the auxiliary bishop of Seattle and the vicar for Hispanic ministry.
This is the English translation of a column that originally appeared in Spanish in the March 2014 issue of NORTHWEST CATHOLIC.