7×7! This is the memo or instruction of Jesus how we must forgive.
Seven (7) is a very symbolic number used in the bible which simply means: many times, unending or infinity.
Thus, we must forgive ’til it hurts and leave the Judgment to God.
Recently, I was an observer over a land boundary dispute among neighbors. One of the neighbors started to fence which will enclose & isolate her neighbors.
The Baranggay was sought for intervention and mediation. All seems ok, there is just a need for technical personnel to determine the dispute.
Unfortunately, here comes the son-in-law who took the limelight, spoke tactlessly his mind with an aggressive tone. Expected reaction, it agitates the other party to flare-up with a side comment “inapo ka lang haan mo nga amu ti buo nga pakastoryaana”!
A bit harsh but the son-in-law was off-tangent. Maybe he didn’t get the memo. He was not aware or aware but intentionally disregards the purpose of the gathering which is amicable settlement.
This is a typical scenario of land dispute which is best described in tagalog “may lamat na” hurts and pains were accumulated that makes mediation and forgiveness seems impossible.
Land dispute is one of the all time difficult problems to settle. But you know there is one thing I realized when I started to sell memorial lots in Heaven’s Garden. All we need as a perpetual resting place of our earthly body is just 1 meter by 2.5 meters piece of land. More than that is just excess!
The point is fighting over a real property particularly over a piece of land can be averted or settled if we know what is important & understand the memo or instruction of Christ.
The most basic instruction of Jesus were the Eight Beatitudes: 2nd Beatitude, Blessed are the meek (humble) for they will inherit the land (heaven). It is a direct and crystal clear instruction that we should give primordial importance to what brings us to Heaven.
5th Beatitude, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Mercy is an act which combines all the good values that even how painful they have caused you still find in your heart to give and forgive. This act is best described by a poor woman in the story of Christ which offered her all what she got- her last coin!
Sixth Beatitude, Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God. Nothing is a mystery or no other formula to use to be able to see God. Loud and Clear if we want to see God: we must have a clean heart.
Clean heart can only be attained by perfecting the mathematics of forgiveness: 7X7!