I've heard young children asking that and i'm not sure i ever gave it much thought. Yet today's Gospel was God asking us ...me... to forgive continually (Luke 17:1-6) and it got me thinking a little about forgiveness...
One line which immediately came to mind was that verse in the prayer which Jesus taught us to pray whereby it says: "Forgive us our sins AS we forgive those who trespass against us"
...hmmm we SURE NEED TO forgive to be forgiven!! ;-)
Then i remembered that line which says that should i, whilst taking up my offering, remember that my brother has sinned against me, i should leave it there and go to him to make amends with him.
...hmmmm so it's HIS fault and I go make amends??
...hmmm.... ;-)
...And then came to mind Jesus' words: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do!"
...em? ...isn't that EXACTLY like the what Jesus was talking about when He spoke of making peace with a brother before taking up my offering? ...as in: When Jesus was OFFERING HIMSELF UP to God He comes to forgive us!!!!!!!!! It was NOT JESUS who had something against us but US ...ME... who sinned against Him ...and He comes to forgive us!!!!!!!! ...further more He even excuses us: "...for they know not what they do!" ...WOW!!!
...one thing leads to another and somehow it got me thinking about that question...
"Does Jesus really 'hurt' when i sin?"
Some people say that when we sin we don't really 'hurt' Jesus. They say that " It's only a way of speaking ...Jesus is not actually 'hurt'. "
Well i am no one to say...
...but what i think and/or believe?
I believe that TRULY God is hurt when i sin. Very simply:
sin = saying 'NO' to God and 'YES' to the evil one
Honestly i believe that in doing such i hurt God. 'Hurt God' in the sense that well i'm disobeying aren't i? A loving parent is hurt when his/her child disobeys ...especially if the child does so deliberately.
Yet, putting that aside i believe that God's hurt is much deeper than that.
Adam "hid" because he had sinned. (Gen 3:8)
Moses "fled" because he had sinned. (Ex 2:15)
Peter "wept bitterly" because he had sinned. (Lk 22:62)
Judas "hanged himself" because he had sinned. (Mt 27:5)
...Each time someone sinned they got themselves hurt!!!
Sin hurts us!When we sin we hurt ourselves!
When i sin i hurt myself!!
God Loves us dearly! He does!! (John 10:15)
And He wants us to be happy! (John 15:11)
A loving parent (human) does not want his/her child to be hurt! If and when the child is hurt the parent is hurt too ...because a caring parent will feel with and for his son or daughter!!
...and if a parent (human) can do such...
...if a parent (human) can be hurt when his/her child is hurt...
...how much more so God then?! GOD!!!!!!...God who is Himself LOVE!!!! (1Jn 4:8)
God loves us sooooo much!!! Yes i believe God is truly hurt when we hurt ourselves. When one of my relatives or friends has been hurt, i, ruth, because i CARE about him or her will feel hurt too. If i, human and sinful am hurt then God, GOD who is INFINATE LOVE is MUCH MORE HURT when He sees me or anyone else hurting!
...Because GOD CARES!!!!
