This week, in our Lenten journey, we are called by Jesus to reflect on “forgiveness.” Forgiveness is one of Jesus’ central themes. In the gospels, we hear Jesus tell the apostles that they must forgive not just 7 times, but 7 times 70 times. In the numerology of the Jesus’ culture, 7 times 70 means that the forgiveness we extend to others must be “infinite” in number. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, we are given 3 different approaches to forgiveness: 1) The unconditional forgiveness of the Father toward his sinful son, 2) The prodigal son’s belief that he is unable to be forgiven, and, 3) the self-righteous brother’s resentment and refusal to forgive his sinful brother. Which one of these do we model in our own lives?
Let’s start with the behavior of the self-righteous brother. It is very hard to forgive others who have hurt us unjustly. It is documented that Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren, sisters by blood, and authors of self-help newspaper columns, were angry and bitter to each other the entirety of their lives. The forgiveness they advised others to practice, they were incapable of doing themselves. The refusal to forgive can consume our lives and rob us of any happiness. Do we really want to live the bitterness the self-righteous brother feels toward his prodigal brother?
Unless we are narcissists, we all have done something which fills us with regret. It may be something cruel we have said or done to another person. In learning how badly we have hurt another person, the punishment we inflict upon ourselves spiritually and emotionally, can often exceed that of the hurt we caused. We believe that the hurt we caused can never be forgiven. This is what we see in the behavior of the prodigal brother. Is it a life of despair we want to live?
Finally, we come to the unconditional love and forgiveness of the Father. The Father is not chained to the bitterness and anger of the self-righteous brother nor the despair of unforgiveness felt by the prodigal brother. There is only joy and love that is felt by the Father and extended to both. We can choose lives chained to anger and bitterness, chained to the despair of ever being forgiven, or living the life of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. In which will we experience the most happiness?
