This is part of a year-long series. Learn more about this series here.

Mark 11:22-25 (HCSB)

Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God.^{a 23 •}I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received them, and you will have them.  ²⁵ And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.” (emphasis added)

Jesus teaches that a relationship exists between our forgiveness of others and God forgiving us. I am reminded that one cannot follow Christ without maintaining a posture of forgiveness towards others. Jesus does not provide any other conditions. It does not matter if the other person legitimately wronged me; I am to extend forgiveness. This is a difficult teaching. It is uncomfortable because it forces me to step into humility. It forces me to form loving thoughts of the other person instead of bitterness and vengeance.

I think it is also freeing. Instead of dwelling on how to exact revenge I am free to walk in love, which brings with it peace.

And I cannot dismiss this verse as “weird” or a “one-off”, for Jesus includes this teaching in the prayer He taught us to pray. “Our Father, who art in Heaven… forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” (see Matthew 6:9-15).

Forgiveness must ever be on our minds.