August 25, 2017 (Friday)
Today’s date is a lovely day: “Kiss and Make Up Day.” The list of special days that I found on the internet also lists “forgiveness day” twice: national and global.
Jesus never said, “Kiss and make up.” But he did say this:
“So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and suddenly remember that a friend has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar and go and apologize and be reconciled to him, and then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and he drags you into court and you are thrown into a debtor’s cell, for you will stay there until you have paid the last penny” (Matthew 5:23-26 TLB).
Jesus gave us both religious and practical reasons to “kiss and make up,” or if you prefer, “forgive one another.”
The following examples from Scripture were found in a paper by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis:
“Jesus was extremely kind and merciful in the way that he forgave those who sinned against others. Jesus told the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven'”(Mk 2:5); when a sinful woman bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, Jesus said, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ (Lk 7:48); when a woman caught in adultery was brought before him, he said, ‘I do not condemn you’ (Jn 8:11); and as Jesus hung on the cross he told the repentant criminal, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise’ (Lk 23:43).
“Even more compelling is the way that Jesus forgave those who sinned against him directly. For Jesus, forgiveness was not an automatic, it was intentional, a conscious choice. After the Roman soldiers had scourged and nailed him, Jesus prayed, ‘Father, forgive them’ (Lk 23:34). After the resurrection Jesus had every right to be furious. Peter had denied him. The others had deserted him. When he entered the Upper Room, they deserved a severe reprimand, but instead, with divine compassion Jesus said not once but three times, ‘Peace be with you'” (Jn 20:19,21,26).
How about it? Ready to celebrate? Pucker up.
