Forgiveness – Father Gavril Galev
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Three main themes appear in this Gospel, the theme of forgiveness, of fasting, and of the manner and purpose of our life.
First, let us begin with fasting. Tomorrow begins the Great Easter Lent, which according to the rules of the Church, the entire fast involves fasting without oil, except on Saturday and Sunday when oil can be used. Fish is permitted for consumption only on the feasts of Annunciation and Palm Sunday.
Of course, this rule is for those who are capable of doing so, but the Church is tolerant also for those who cannot, or are beginners, or have heavy physical work, for those who are pregnant, the sick, for whom this rule may be relaxed in accordance with the blessing of their spiritual father. That is why each of us should have a spiritual father and consult him regarding fasting or general Church and spiritual life. Let us fast with joy and ease. With humility, patience, love and filled with every virtue.
Just as every written language, alphabet, has its own consonants and vowels, so too is forgiveness one of those vowels in the alphabet of the Orthodox spiritual life, without which one cannot actually create a word or a sentence and understand the content of the book, that is, to understand the content of life.
The importance of forgiveness is clearly seen in the way that God talks about forgiveness. He taught the people through lessons and parables. Even when God speaks in parables, His parables have a clear message. Especially when He wanted to emphasize something as being more important, then He spoke clearly, openly and directly. One of those more important messages he wanted to convey to us is forgiveness. Take note of how clearly and directly He says “if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive your trespasses. If you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you yours.” (Mat. 6:14,15) This phrase, this rule is set even into the only prayer that the Lord gave us, the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6: 12).
Unforgivness is in fact everything that is not Christ. The reason why Christ came and accomplished His dispensation of salvation for us is forgiveness. We have sinned before God and thereby have fallen away from Him, His gifts of grace, and, from life. We have sinned against God and an insurmountable obstacle has come between us.
And not us, but God Himself took compassion on us and came and showed us an example of how we should live and what to do. So yes, if God, who has not offended us with anything, but we sin against Him, has made Himself known as merciful to all people, to those who killed Him, to those who spat on Him, to those who belittled Him, to those who judged Him, to those who pierced Him with a spear, who put a crown of thorns on Him, crucified Him and mocked Him even on the cross, God forgave them, then we should also forgive. So brothers and sisters we have no excuse if we do not forgive anyone, whoever it may be.
If we do not forgive others, we have nothing to do with Christ and we are not Christians. There is no Christian spiritual life without forgiveness and there is no virtue without forgiveness. Fasting without forgiveness is not fasting, prayer without forgiveness is not prayer, and every struggle we do in the name of God for our salvation and perfection, if we do not forgive, all is in vain. All of that is for nothing.
Whether forgiveness is difficult or easy depends on how similar, or not, we are to Christ. Those who have Christ in their hearts, those who have Christ as an example in their lives, those who live for Christ, those who love Christ, and we can say that those who are smart, forgive.
Those who rejected Christ as a criterion of their life, as a goal in their life, unfortunately do not forgive. It is difficult for them to forgive because they love themselves and their vanity. They put their ego, their vanity, their high opinion of themselves before Christ and do not allow their heart to forgive. And since we are created in the image and likeness of God, then it is natural to forgive. It is unnatural to sin because we were not created to sin, but after we have sinned, we should return to what we are intended for, purify our image of God and perfect ourselves, become the likeness of Christ. It is difficult for those whose hearts are captured by sin to forgive.
And finally the third lesson where He says where your treasure is, where you are gathering treasures, there will your heart also be. That is what I said, everything we do in this life if we do it for earthly pleasures, earthly riches or glory, i.e. passions: love-of-pleasure, covetousness, and vainglory, and all that is self-love, all that is destroyed by rust, moth eats it, thieves undermine it, and that results in turbulence even in earthly life.
However, we should put Christ, not ourselves, in the centre of our heart, and then all will be well and all will be blessed, and then we will inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, let us start the Great Lent as we should, with a fast and let us forgive each other.
I am also asking of you to forgive me. We who are closest with each other, we hurt each other the most, and then all of us, and our mistakes are not only with deeds, not only with words but also with thoughts. If we have done something wrong with our thoughts let us forgive each other. And may God forgive us all.
Father Gavril Galev
Abbot of the Monastery “St. Clement of Ohrid”,
Kinglake, Melbourne, Australia
