SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN

Many years ago, in one of my booklets – ‘THE LATE BLOOMER’ – I had written this:

“If God was to judge me by my thoughts, He would have thrown me into hell, a long time ago.”

The fact,  that I am still not in hell, does not prove, that my thoughts are ‘pure’; it only proves, that God has been merciful… that, He has given me innumerable chances to make amends, correct my course of actions… start afresh.

The fact, that God has not yet thrown me into hell for my sins, also, means, that He knows that no one can live in this world without committing sins; at times, grave ones… even sacrilegious… sins against God.

Every time I am tempted to judge someone for his or her sins, my conscience only ends up getting pricked: “Hey, who are you to judge another soul? It’s not for you to do that… It’s for God!”

But, such ‘ignorant’ souls we all are, that we think, God has given us the moral right to cast others in to the hell-fire whenever they commit sins…

That’s exactly what the hard-core Pharisees did to Jesus when He went about preaching and  rebelling against the out-dated and soulless Laws… He challenged their mind-sets… and, they thought he was against God’s Laws… He spoke sacrilegious things…

Look at the way the Pharisees try to trap Jesus… They drag the prostitute woman, throw her before him, holding stones in their hands… “The Old Law says, we should stone such a woman to death,” they breathe out fire, “what have you to say?”

What Jesus Christ said was one reason why I see hope for sinners like me on this earth. He bends down and writes on the sand, this:

“The one among you, who has not sinned, let him cast the first stone.”

Is there any one to cast the stone?

There can’t be… They drop the stones, one by one, and go away. To the sinful woman, Jesus only says this: “Woman go; sin no more.”

The woman is Mary Magdalene. Her life changed for ever through this act of mercy… and, she remained faithful to Jesus’ teachings ever since…

Remember the parable of the Prodigal Son? If the father of this ‘black-sheep’ son was to judge his son by his deeds, certainly, the father’s door would have been shut for ever. But, look at the way the father rejoiced and celebrated when the ‘useless’ son returned home when he realized his mistake and when he came down on his knees. To me – a sinner like this Prodigal Son – such mercy gives the hope, that I, too, would be forgiven… that, I. too, can start afresh…

When a disciple ( Peter) asked Him, “How many times should I forgive – seven times?”, Jesus replied – ‘Seventy times seven’!

Have you ever realized how much it comes to when you count seventy times seven?

In the only prayer He taught to His disciples – which we call the ‘Lord’s Prayer’, Jesus teaches us to pray:

“Forgive us our trespasses (sins) as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

This is one prayer, every Christian prays, every day… everywhere!

But, praying can be dry and empty… It can be a meaningless ritual. We need to stay with those words… We need to  breathe in and breathe out the spirit of those words every moment of our existence…

By the way, who are we to judge others? “Judge not others so that you may not be judged.” Didn’t Jesus teach us this, too?

Finally, after such a long and brutal torture, when the hard-core Pharisees got Him nailed to the cross – a punishment meted out to the worst criminals of the times – yes, just before He gave out His last breath, what did Jesus say about those who unleashed all the cruelty towards Him?

“My father, forgive them… for, they do not know what they are doing?”

What? They ‘did not know’ what they were doing?

No sir, they did not!

For, if they did, they would not!

If they did, they would not have burnt alive Graham Staines and his two little sons, that night, while fast asleep in their work-wagon. Gladys, Staines’ widow, would not have forgiven them…

If they did, Mahatma Gandhi would not have gone down to  bullets with those last, powerful words - “Hey Ram”!

It’s tough to comprehend the idea of ‘They do not know what they are doing”, unless we realize how sinful we all are… How God’s mercy has saved us, this far…

If, to seek forgiveness, we need Grace, to forgive someone, too, we need Grace. And, to forgive someone when forgiveness is not sought, needs even more strength, even more wisdom and Grace…

Finally, who are we to sit on the judgement seat and declare - ‘Your sins are forgiven’… when, we know how ‘wretched’ we are!

This Post is triggered off by the Hallelujah Controversy…

If Hallelujah is a Holy word – expressed in praise and glory of God – then, is it not for the same God to judge those who tarnish it? And, if forgiveness is sought by those who tarnished it, is it not for God to show mercy… the way Jesus did it to the sinful woman and to those who crucified Him…

Why don’t we truly practice what Jesus taught us in His prayer… and, when He advised us to forgive people seventy times seven?

Forgive us, O Lord… for, we really do not know what we are doing…

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: freeimages.com

Videos: 1. The Church of Jesus Christ Later-day Saints

            2. Cliff Richard

            3. Brian Fullaway