Can I forgive those who have hurt me?
Can I forgive those who have hurt me?
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Can I forgive those who have hurt me or wronged me? This is a big question and a big challenge to us, because we have all experienced the pain or rejection, broken relationships and people hurting us? Jesus tells a story that makes it clear that God cannot forgive us all the wrong things we have done, if we do not forgive other people. However, in many other teachings Jesus shows us that when we know that God has forgiven us, it releases His power in us, which enables us to forgive others. After watching Jesus’ teaching on the video link, please listen to Nerissa’s powerful story of how God helped her to forgive her family after they had been very unkind to her.
Watch and listen to Jesus' teaching on forgiveness and his challenging story
The video clip comes from the Lumo Project (www.lumoproject.com)
Matthew 18:21-35
Read the story Jesus told about the importance of forgiving people
Matthew 18:21-35 (NIV)
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’
22 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 ‘Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 ‘At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.
28 ‘But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded.
29 ‘His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.”
30 ‘But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 ‘Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’
Does Jesus' teaching challenge your life ? Can God help you to forgive those who have wronged you? Please write to us and we can pray for you and encourage you to experience God's forgiveness and His Power to forgive others.
Is it possible to live in good relationships with everyone?
Is it possible to live in good relationships with everyone?
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In life it is easy to fall out with people, even because of small problems. Sometimes we only want to help people who help us.The question we have is: Is it possible to be different and to love everyone?
In a story Jesus told, he shows that it is not only possible, but people who truly want to find eternal life, need to be willing to change and be like the hero in this story. What makes the story so powerful is that the hero, a Samaritan by race, was someone Jesus’ own people despised. So the Samaritan’s compassion speaks more strongly to challenge our natural human tendency – that is to only love those who might show love towards us. Please watch and listen and think carefully about how God could change your life to become like this hero?
Watch how Jesus teaches us to serve everyone around us, even those who might dislike or hate us!
The video clip comes from the Lumo Project (www.lumoproject.com)
Luke 10:25-37
Read the story Jesus told about a man loving his enemy
Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Watch a modern day story of how people will ignore people in need, unless they are respectable people. The challenge to us from Jesus is: Are we willing to show compassion to everyone around us?
Does Jesus' teaching challenge your life? Is it really possible to love all people ? Let us know what you think?