Reading: Mark 11:11—26
“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance.” So says Jesus.
Ever try to pray for somebody you are mad at. It is not easy to do, is it? Especially when you are more disposed to wish the sky would fall on them. But our praying for those we feel angry with can be the best act of forgiveness we can ever perform. We might not think it is forgiveness from our hearts, for we still have feelings of anger, but in such a state our praying just might be an heroic act of forgiveness. We put forth an effort to forgive instead of giving in to feelings that make us want to curse.
Forgiving someone for transgressions in the past, though sometimes very hard to do, can be much easier by comparison than forgiving someone for transgressions not only committed in the past but which they continue to commit in the present. How can I forgive you for what you did last year, last month, yesterday, when you are still doing it today? The only way I know we can even begin to forgive in a situation like that without seeming to give our permission to continue treating us badly, is to pray for the enlightenment and the good of the offender. Sincere prayer for anyone, even when accompanied by unkind feelings might be the best we can do. And I believe Jesus understands. Could he have felt kindly towards all those Pharisees he was always praying for? His being human must have made that difficult.
“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance.” Easier said than done. Wasn’t easy for Jesus either.
No comments:
Post a Comment