St Matthew, Chapter 18, verse: 22, How often to forgive? How often to love?

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter asks how often to forgive) Part2.   

Christ was teaching his disciples about winning back the souls of their brothers and sisters.  He told them to meet with thy brother/sister face to face to help them understand their transgressions.  Help them overcome with love and not with anger, or hurt or pain.  For these emotions will cause them to strike out, to exact revenge, to cause pain and hurt as they, thy brothers/sisters, did to them.  Should they not be hurt!  Should they not feel the pain?  Should they not be angry, or vengeful?  These are the questions that the disciples were thinking about when instructed by Christ to win back their brothers/sisters.

Then Peter spoke out, asking the question, how often should we forgive.  How often should we accept their transgressions?  How often should they, the disciples, allow their brothers/sisters to betray them, to bear false witness against them, to lie against them, to cheat, to steal and then to seek forgiveness?  Is seven times enough before they should stop forgiving?  Is seven times enough before they should turn their backs on their brothers/sisters?  Is seven times enough before they should cast them out and never allow repentance again?  Christ answered Peter's question and told them what they should do.  Jesus said to him, "I donot say to thee seven times , but seventy times seven.”

Peter was a simple man, a fisherman.  Everything for him was black and white.  He felt strongly and deeply.  Yet he was a sensible man.  He wanted to know practical things, things that he could apply, things that he could grasp, things that he could know.  He knew forgiveness.  He knew how to accept that some people make mistakes.  He knew that we are all human, not perfect, so we would err.  Yet he wanted to know how long should we accept the errors of others.  How long should we allow sin to be committed against us and still forgive?  He wanted to know if there is an end to the ability to forgive.

At what point do we stop forgiving and start to hate?  At what point do we stop forgiving and start to take revenge?  At what point do we stop forgiving and ourselves turn to the sin that we seek to forgive.  For this is the pit that we open ourselves to fall into if we place a limit on that which is given to us from our Father .  Christ told them, his disciples, as he tells us today, that there is no limit on forgiveness.  He told them that there is no limit on the love that we should have for our brothers/sisters who sin against us. 

We have a merciful Father, a God who is love, a provider, a protector, a creator.  It is he who is all forgiving, all loving, all merciful and all just.  And it is through his love that we become love.  It is through his forgiveness that we are forgiven.  It is through his mercy that we become forgiving of others, our brothers/sister.  For if they truly knew who they are, if they truly knew where they come from, if they truly knew that their actions are not the actions of children of a loving God, they would not commit sin.  Sin comes to influence.  Sin comes to take over.  Sin comes to commit sin.  Sin comes to recruit others to sin. 

But Christ came that we would know who we are without sin.  Christ came that we would have life anew.  Christ came that the light of life would shine within us.  And Christ left that we may have the light of the Holy Spirit reside within us, to guide us through the influences of sin.  How often should we forgive?  He told us seventy times seven.  He told us they do not know what they do.  He told us to forgive without limits.  He told us to forgive with love.  He told us to forgive that they may see the goodness and the light that is within and know that their Father in heaven loves them.  For through you and with him and in him we are the light of the world.  So come!  Let your light shine for those who cannot see.  Let your light shine for those who know not.  Let your light shine for those who have not.  And you too will know the truth of who you are in Christ.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.  

St Matthew, Chapter 18, verse:15a, Fraternal Correction: First: Speak, Face to Face.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Fraternal correction) Part 1.   

Christ has given his disciples the joy and glory that will be celebrated in heaven over the return of a single little one.  He told them that it is not the will of the Father that a single little one should perish.  For God loves all his children and desires that they, will love him when they know him.  But that is the will of the Father.  Man has his own will.  So Christ has given them the opportunity to understand the happiness and love that awaits them in heaven.  He has set the framework around which they can begin to understand what God has prepared for all in heaven.  And the mystery will be revealed.

Christ goes further in teaching his disciples how to love one another.  If thy brother sins against thee, what does one do?  Accuse him/her!  Speak foul of him/her!  Talk with others about their sin when they are not present?  What should one do?  Christ gives his disciples the answer to what they should do.  "But if thy brother sin against thee, go and show him his fault, between thee and him alone."

Consult thy brother face to face, alone.  Seek his/her understanding of the sin without malice or accusation.  Express love for thy brother that he/she may turn away from sin.  These are the ideas and principles that Christ seeks for his disciples to understand.  He spoke these words that they may know how to approach each other when sin comes into a relationship whether it be a relationship  between men or our relationship with God.  When we sin, God comes to us quietly seeking to have us recognize the sin that is within us.  He does not shout it out.  He does not bash us over the head or punish us immediately because of our sin.  He continues to love us until we can recognize the sin that is within us.  For it is his children that he seeks to save, just as it is our brother that we should seek to save.  It is the sin within us that we should seek to expel through the love that is within us for one another.  Satan seeks to divide.  Satan seeks to separate.  Satan seeks to control.  Satan seeks to turn us away from God our Father and to turn us to himself.  And he will seek to do this in any way that he can.

Does thy brother know that he has sinned against thee?  Does thy brother have any conscience of his error?  Does thy brother understand the consequences of his actions?  Does thy brother know that he has opened the door to Satan?  Has Satan taken control and turned him/her completely away from thee?  Love is the key.  Love thy brother/sister, for they do not know what they do.  And if they do know what they do then they do not understand the consequences of what they do.  For no one desires to jump into the fire.  No one seeks to live eternity in damnation, if they truly understand what they do.  Yet many are blinded.  Many are without understanding.  Many have not been made fully aware of what they do.  And yet we all have the capacity to understand.  We all have the ability to make sense of our world.  Yet, in that sense, we choose what path we walk.  We choose what road we travel.  We choose the outcome of what we are.

God has given us a spirit of love.  For he is love.  He is light.  He is life and he has given us life through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.  His love is so fulfilling that it overwhelms the mind, the body and fills the soul.  And we cannot fully comprehend the complete meaning of his love for to do so would be too much for our being.  Yet he loves us.  He completes us.  He provides for us.  He fills us with a peace that nothing on earth can provide.  Our desires, our passions, our wants, cannot begin to compare to that which he can provide.  No amount of gold, diamonds, jewels or paper money can come close to the wealth that the Father has prepared for each of us.  The choice is ours, provided we understand, provided we can make sense of it all, provided we can believe and receive the spirit that he will send to show us his ways. 

Seek thy brother alone and reconcile thy difference.  Love thy brother as God has loved thee.  When we were in sin, he did not let go.  When we were in sin, he did not turn away.  When we were in sin, he walked with us.  When we were wrong, when we were in the darkness, when we were tempted by Satan, he was still there.  He still loved us.  He still cared for us.  He still allowed us to sin.  By his grace we awoke from our worldly sleep and turned away from sin.  By his grace we were forgiven.  By his love we were cleansed.  By his mercy we will be restored.  By his love we will rejoice at his glory and power and majesty.  Seek to express the love of the Father to thy brother that he may understand.  For one does not desire to jump into the fire if one understands.  Christ loves us.  The Father provides for us.  The Holy Spirit will teach us the ways of truth and light.  Come!  Follow the path before you.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.