Readings: Colossians 3:12–17; Psalm 150; Luke 6:27–38
There are some words of Jesus that sound beautiful when we hear them in church but become extremely difficult when we have to practise them in real life: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Jesus knows how difficult this is. He is not asking us to pretend that we were not hurt, nor is He telling us to tolerate injustice. Rather, He is asking us not to allow someone else’s wickedness to transform our own hearts.
St Paul gives us the practical answer. He tells us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. In other words, when anger tells us to retaliate, Christ calls us to respond differently.
It is easy to love those who love us. It is easy to be kind to those who treat us well. But Christian love begins to reveal its true power when it reaches the person who has offended us, betrayed us, rejected us or spoken against us.
Perhaps there is someone you still struggle to forgive. Perhaps the wound is deeper than words can explain. Today, Jesus invites you to place that pain in His hands.
Forgiveness does not mean forgetting what happened. It does not mean approving evil or refusing justice. It means refusing to carry hatred in your heart and allowing God to be the final judge.
Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Today, ask yourself: Am I becoming more like the person who hurt me, or more like Christ who calls me to forgive?
Lord Jesus, give me a heart like Yours. Teach me to forgive, bless instead of curse, and choose love even when love is difficult. May my life become a reflection of Your mercy. Amen.
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