"Maestro, ¿cuál es el gran mandamiento en la ley? Jesús le dijo: Amarás al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, y con toda tu alma, y con toda tu mente. Este es el primero y grande mandamiento. Y el segundo es semejante: Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo. De estos dos mandamientos depende toda la ley y los profetas.” (Mateo 22: 36-40)
Jesus gave the following example regarding forgiveness to help us understand what He has meant by forgiving “seventy times seven.”
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:23-35 ESV)
A veces podemos decir que servimos a Dios (Alláh) pero hemos maltratado a uno de los hijos de Dios. Jesús enseñó que cuando venimos a adorar a Dios, debemos venir con la conciencia limpia de que hemos hecho todo lo que está a nuestro alcance para hacer las cosas bien cuando hemos herido a alguien. Esto no significa que la gente siempre estará dispuesta a aceptarnos. Es posible que aún nos odien, pero al menos hemos tratado de hacer lo correcto. El pueblo de Dios debe reflejar el amor de Dios y es por eso que debemos tratar de vivir en paz con todas las personas “Si alguno dice: Yo amo a Dios, y aborrece a su hermano, es mentiroso. Pues el que no ama a su hermano a quien ha visto, ¿cómo puede amar a Dios a quien no ha visto?” 1 Juan 4:20. Es algo serio odiar a alguien. Podemos odiar las formas malas y malas de las personas sin odiarlas. “Todo aquel que aborrece a su hermano es homicida; y sabéis que ningún homicida tiene vida eterna permanente en él.” 1 Juan 3:15 La clara enseñanza de Jesús y el Injil es que no debemos albergar enojo ni odio hacia nadie. Debemos tener un verdadero sentido del amor de Dios y reflejarlo a los demás.
God’s people should reflect God’s love and that’s why we should try to live at peace with all people. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20.
It’s a serious thing to hate someone. We can hate people’s mean and evil ways without hating them. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15.
The clear teaching of Jesus and the Injil is that we are to harbor anger or hatred toward no one. We should have s true sense of God’s love and reflect it to others.
Para estudio adicional:
1. Disposición a permanecer solo, incluso si otras personas nos odian: Lucas 14.26
2. El amor de Dios: 1 Juan 4.8.
3. Cuando las personas nos maltratan y nos odian porque seguimos a Dios: Mateo 5.10