XXV. Отпущение согрешений ближнему

“If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:14–15). “Then Peter came to Him and said: Lord! How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me? up to seven times? Jesus says to him: I do not say to you, until seven times, but until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21–22). “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times a day, and turns back seven times a day and says, “I repent,” forgive him” (Luke 17:3–4). If you forgive your co-servant a little, then God will forgive you absolutely everything (Conversation 20 about secret hatred). If you do not forgive your neighbor’s sins, your sins will not be forgiven you (Ibid.). God showed us an extensive and convenient path to the cleansing of sins - forgiveness of sins to our neighbors (Conversation 19 on the Evangelist Matthew, chapter 6). For this reason, Christ taught us to pray: “Forgive us, as we also forsake,” so that we would learn that the image of forgiveness originates from us (On the words: “if your enemy is hungry,” and so on (Rom. 12:20). Volume 3, l. 170). When your enemy falls into your hands, do not take revenge on him, but it is appropriate to preserve his life and dignity. (Conversation 1 about David and Saul). There is nothing safer than to forgive the enemy; there is nothing more dangerous than to take revenge on him (Conversation 2 about David and Saul). If you forgive the enemy who is plotting and wanting to take your life, you will be charged with martyrdom (Conversation 3 about David and Saul). Discussion on the forgiveness of sins to one's neighbor. Reasons why we should forgive our neighbors First. Christian love demands it; This was mentioned above, where love was discussed. Second. The integrity of society requires this, because if everyone took revenge on each other, society would not be able to resist: everyone would destroy each other, which happens as a result of mutual enmity, according to the words of the apostle: “If you bite and devour each other, beware that you are not destroyed by each other” (Gal. 5:15). Third. We sin before each other: your neighbor has sinned against you today, and you have sinned against him tomorrow, or you have already sinned before; That is why we must forgive each other - you will forgive him, and he will forgive you, and God will leave sins to both of them for the sake of common love. Fourth. There is no work to forgive, but revenge requires a lot of work, and even then, perhaps, it will not succeed. Fifth. It is impossible for someone to pray who does not forgive his neighbor’s sins. How can he say: “Forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors”? Remit a hundred fines to your neighbor, so that the darkness may be remitted to you, that is, the Lord may remit ten thousand talents (Matthew 18:23–35). How you want God to treat you, so you treat your neighbor (See more about this in the discussion about love for enemies). You might be interested in: