Understanding Jesus Concept of Forgiveness

Mathew’s Gospel on Spirituality of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a virtue that contributes immensely to a believer’s spiritual growth. It is the key to unlocking Gods power. Believers must learn to forgive all those who need forgiveness because in so doing, they cleanse themselves of resentment and bitterness. Many people lack forgiveness not only towards those who hurt them but also towards themselves. Holding grudges and resentment against people who have done terrible things to them hinders many believers from seeing miracles in their lives. Forgiveness plays a great role in the spiritual growth of a believer because the contrary is what most often comes between people and God.
In the first half of the book, Jesus’ response to conflict and aggression sets a standard different from that of the scribes and Pharisees. The system of the scribes and Pharisees holds that if a person encounters a conflict. When someone is offended, he or she should retaliate as seen from the way he says ‘an eye for an eye.’ However, Jesus has a different perspective in the New Testament. He tells the disciples that they should not resist or retaliate in the face of conflict. He calls for his disciples to give more than a passive response (Bergant & Fragomeni, 1999). He urges them to ‘turn the other cheek,' ‘give your cloak as well as your tunic’ Jesus’ response to conflict and aggression is bold and radical. For instance, He says that if a person wants to take away your tunic during a conflict, one should not only fail to sue back as a believer. Jesus encouraged his disciples to give the person the tunic and let him have the cloak as well.
In the Bible, Mathew’s miracles are portrayed differently from the book of Mark from the way he strives to teach believers the law of mercy. Mathew teaches believers that even the recalcitrant members of the society should be treated as the Gentiles and the tax collectors would have been treated. In the scripture, Gentiles and tax collectors are two groups of people who received spiritual attention from Jesus (Boring, 2012). Mathew rejects ‘Christian pharisaism’, which aimed at turning the gospel into a rigid system through Christian rules and duties. Instead, he vouches for the new law of mercy and love where everyone relates with mercy and love with one another in the church. While seeking to assert his point, Mathew inserts after Mark's first miracle about the healing of a Jewish leper and the healing of a centurion’s servant when Jesus was launching his public ministry.
The ethic of love of enemies in is significant Mathew’s community. He urges communities to show extra love to ‘enemies’ –unrepentant members of the community as Jesus showed to the tax collectors (Donahue, 1988). He says that a community that confronts and excludes sinners must first realize that they have strayed. Showing love to enemies is an act of mercy. Many of these enemies when shown love and mercy they will be surprised by the undeserved mercy shown to them and may even reconsider their ways.
Within Hawaiian families and parishes, the practice of Ho’oponopono cultivates a culture of reconciliation. Ho’oponopono is a Hawaiian mantra where one repeats the words “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you” as a mental and spiritual form of cleansing. It is defined as forgiveness and reconciliation practice meant to put things right. The Ho’oponopono is used in ensuring that respectful relationships are established. From the Hawaiian’s worldview, hatred, resentment, and holding of grudges create an error in one's thoughts. The ‘error of thoughts ' creates problems and sicknesses in the physical world.


References
Bergant, D. & Fragomeni, R. (1999). Preaching the New Lectionary: Year A. (24th Sunday of Ordinary Time. pp. 345-348)
Boring M. E. (2012). “V. Summary Thoughts on Matthew’s Gospel.” The Conflict of Kingdoms Initiated and Defined (1:1 – 12:21),” An Introduction to the New Testament: History, Literature, Theology. Westminster John Knox Press pp. 548 to 552.
Donahue, J. R. S.J. (1988). The Gospel in Parable, “Justice, Mercy and the Unmerciful Servant (Matt. 18:23-35), pp. 72-79