In his sermon On Pastors, St. Augustine said:
For what person can judge rightly concerning another? Our whole daily life is filled with rash judgements. The one of whom we had despaired is converted suddenly and becomes very good. The one from whom we had anticipated a great deal suddenly fails and becomes very bad. Neither fear nor hope is certain.
What any one is today, that one scarcely knows. Still in some way that person does know what he/she is today. What that person will be tomorrow, however, he/she does not know.
Remember in the account of the crucifixion of Jesus what he said to the “good thief”, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
He wasn’t talking to a “good” guy who was being misjudged according to the criminal justice systems of his day; he was talking to a convicted criminal—but a convicted criminal who had a last-minute change of heart when he saw and heard and somehow glimpsed something of who Jesus was at the end of both their lives!
Somehow, this sort of goes against the grain when it comes to our relationships with others, especially difficult others.
Maybe our memories are too good so that we hold on to a long list of offenses and dishonesties of another, never forgetting and never forgiving.
Maybe we fear being taken in and being judged naïve or stupid, if some unexpected and hard-to-believe show of repentance is displayed by a presumably incorrigible relative, friend, acquaintance, or enemy, and we pardon them.
St. Peter wrestled with that. Remember his asking Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18: 21-22)
Jesus wasn’t setting a sort of new limiting goal when he said, “seventy-seven times.” He basically was saying you should keep forgiving ridiculously more times than anyone would imagine. Forgiveness should have no limits!
Dumb! Stupid! Being a sucker! Being taken advantage of! Naïve!
Sure, that’s often what people may say, judging you, if you try to live up to the high standard Jesus sets. But whose judgement counts the most? Other people’s or God’s?
Don’t be afraid of forgiving or forgetting too much. Remember, Jesus also said,
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
“Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:9-12)
Better to forgive too much than too little!
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” [A quote from a sailor, not from the Bible]
30 October 2022