Do we have enough moral strength to forgive?

The Prodigal Son is one of the most familiar and touching parables we know. New messages keep coming up when we meditate on it. The plot is simple. A father, who represents God and/or Jesus, has two sons. The elder son represents the self-righteous Pharisees and the younger son sinners. Jesus came to save us sinners. Yet, the Pharisees were unhappy because they were brought up into thinking that a righteous Jew should not mix with sinners (Psalm 1:1). Jesus’ mixing with sinners offended them, offended their sensitivity.

The Pharisees were no better than the public sinners of their days. St. Paul, himself a fervent Pharisee, knows it very well. However, their self-righteousness hindered them from recognizing their need of redemption. Jesus did not rub salt on their wounds. He told them three parables, hoping that they would accept God's invitation to repentance. He reassured them that God would be very happy to see sinners repent. Jesus stopped short of telling them directly that they were sinners. He understands human nature very well. He knows that the more you point out one's mistake, the stronger their denials.

Sibling rivalry is a major theme that runs through the Bible. It is also a true reflection of human history. Men fight against each other for the allocation of resources, be they food, water, money, status, power and the favour of the bosses. Luckily, the grace of our God is unlimited. We don't have to fight with each other to obtain it. The only person we need to rival is ourselves. The only obstacle that blocks us from obtaining God's grace is our own arrogance, our own self-righteousness. It is not easy to admit our own faults and weaknesses. We like to play the not-me game to protect our ego. It hurts to admit failures. No. It is not our fault. It is his. If it is not his, it must be the society's fault. It is never ours.

We tend to think that our sins offend God and God alone and therefore we only need to ask God to forgive our sins. Period. If we think in this way, we make use of God to soothe our ego. We can never reconcile with God if we do not reconcile with our brethren. Why? The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates it well.

The elder son was angry with the apparent favouritism of the father and refused to enter the house. He put the blame on the father. It was the father's fault to raise up such an irresponsible wayward son. When the younger son had suffered enough and returned, the father did not mete out any punishment. On the contrary, the father embraced him and gave him the fattened calf! That was unfair. He was angry with both the father and the younger brother. The elder son even did not bother to ask, like Cain, whether he was his brother's keeper. Was he responsible for the sins of his younger brother?

The problem is very complicated because as an adult, a person is autonomous. He is solely responsible for his own choices and actions. This is true. However, as his brother's keeper, the elder son should at least attempt to talk the younger son out of dividing the family fortune. He has the responsibility to ensure the well-being of his younger brother. Therefore, if we do not reconcile with our brethren, we cannot achieve true reconciliation with God.

Father Martin Ip said very well this morning that many people are victims of structural sins. There are victims who bear the brunt of evil directly. However, even the perpetrators of evil are themselves victims of the situation. Their hands are forced to inflict evils on others. They have no choice. In many such loss-loss situations nowadays, both parties are victims. Usually, we are sympathetic towards the victims. But Jesus is sympathetic towards the perpetrators as well. That is why, Jesus reminds us in the Lord's Prayer that while we ask God to forgive our sins, we should also forgive our brethren. Elsewhere, he taught that we should forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). Forgiveness relieves us of heavy burdens in our conscience. It brings us true joy and real peace.

Dear Lord, grant us enough wisdom to recognize our own faults, enough courage to confess our weaknesses and enough strength to forgive those who hurt us. Amen.