To forgive is to forget?
“To forgive is to forget” is not always true and did not come from Jesus. What Jesus said is rather clear: “Forgive seventy times seven.”
Since seven is a perfect number for the Jews, Jesus meant we must forgive each time there is a need for us to forgive. Jesus neither implied nor directly stated that to forgive is to forget.
To forgive is to remember. It is to remember that we hurt others just as others hurt us. [It hurts, you know!]. It is to remember that we need forgiveness from others just as others need our forgiveness. It is to remember that we are forgiven so we may forgive. It is to remember that God forgives us all regardless how grave and frequent our sins. It is to remember that God is Father of us all and that we are all brothers and sisters. It is to remember that not to forgive is not to be forgiven by our Father in heaven. Forgiveness flows from remembering, happens because remembering, becomes grace trough remembering.
When St. Paul wrote, “Love keeps no record of wrong,” he meant that love transcends the wrong done. He implied remembering because how can love transcend what does not exist even in memory? To transcend is not to forget but to transform moments of pain into moment of growth.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He still bore the marks of the wounds our sins inflicted on Him. Even now in heaven, Jesus in His glorified Body, bears the same reminder of our transgressions. His resurrection did not erase the image of His crucifixion. Rather, His resurrection highlighted even more the grace of His cross. It is in the light of the Resurrection that the Crucifixion should be understood and can have meaning in our lives.
Jesus remembers. He does. Ad so He forgives.
