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Editor’s note: When Erika Kirk this week forgave the murderer of her husband, Charlie Kirk, her action prompted many questions about what Our Lord expects of us when it comes to forgiveness. We found this article from our print magazine helpful, and so we are republishing it today.
Every year of mankind’s fallen history witnesses countless sins, large and small. When they are committed against us, it raises the question of forgiveness, since Jesus made it clear that we must be willing to forgive.
I remember, in the days immediately following 9/11, people calling Catholic Answers Live confused because their priests had told them that the U.S. must not strike back against the terrorists because of the Christian duty of forgiveness.
After the priestly sex scandal broke in 2002, there were many—even those who had not themselves been abused—vociferously declaring that they “could never forgive” the priestly abusers for what they had done.
There’s something wrong with both of these views of forgiveness. The latter reflects the all-too-human tendency not to forgive, no matter what the circumstances. It’s the attitude toward which Christ’s teachings regarding forgiveness are directed.
The former attitude reflects the opposite extreme, insisting on all forms of forgiveness regardless of the circumstances. Though this attitude of hyper-forgiveness seeks to cloak itself in the teachings of Christ, in reality, it goes far beyond what Christ asks us to do and even what God himself does.
Christ’s most famous injunction regarding forgiveness is found in the Our Father: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12—and it is debts in Greek, though the common English translation uses the word trespasses).
Just to make sure we get the point, Jesus singles this petition out for special commentary: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15).
So that’s it. You have to forgive if you want to be forgiven.
Continued below.
www.catholic.com
Every year of mankind’s fallen history witnesses countless sins, large and small. When they are committed against us, it raises the question of forgiveness, since Jesus made it clear that we must be willing to forgive.
I remember, in the days immediately following 9/11, people calling Catholic Answers Live confused because their priests had told them that the U.S. must not strike back against the terrorists because of the Christian duty of forgiveness.
After the priestly sex scandal broke in 2002, there were many—even those who had not themselves been abused—vociferously declaring that they “could never forgive” the priestly abusers for what they had done.
There’s something wrong with both of these views of forgiveness. The latter reflects the all-too-human tendency not to forgive, no matter what the circumstances. It’s the attitude toward which Christ’s teachings regarding forgiveness are directed.
The former attitude reflects the opposite extreme, insisting on all forms of forgiveness regardless of the circumstances. Though this attitude of hyper-forgiveness seeks to cloak itself in the teachings of Christ, in reality, it goes far beyond what Christ asks us to do and even what God himself does.
Christ’s most famous injunction regarding forgiveness is found in the Our Father: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12—and it is debts in Greek, though the common English translation uses the word trespasses).
Just to make sure we get the point, Jesus singles this petition out for special commentary: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15).
So that’s it. You have to forgive if you want to be forgiven.
Forgiveness and Feelings
Continued below.
The Limits of Forgiveness
What does it mean to forgive? This is a sticky issue, because some things that commonly go under the name of forgiveness are difficult or impossible to do.
