Forgiveness

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that if you are angry with a “brother,” it is almost as bad as killing him. He makes reference to the Ten Commandments saying, “You have heard…’You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say…everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.”

This is very important, because it teaches forgiveness, and reconciliation. Something today’s society is not very good at. In today’s world, we rarely hear the words, “I am sorry.” As unfortunate as it is, it is true. Whether it is pride or denial that keeps us from acts on contrition, it is something all humans should work on. This teaching is ignored, and, frankly, forgotten. As a race, we should work towards accepting others faults, forgiving them, and making our “sacrifice” at whatever “temple” we believe in.

In Jesus’ time, this teaching held an extra level of magnitude. It was important because if you were angry with another person, you could not make your sacrifice at the temple, and if you could not make your sacrifice at the temple, you were likely to anger God, resulting in your demise. By contrast, today, we do not worry about angering God. We do not even worry about half the things we should be worrying about. Yet by not talking, communicating, and apologizing, we create a world of sterile hostility.