"If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."
(Luke 17:3-4)
Dear Friends ~
Pointing out one’s sins to another is not an easy thing to do… in fact, it is one of the hardest things you will ever do because the consequences can go many different ways... from the calm acceptance of your critique, to an outrageous rejection which can utterly dissolve your relationship. But do it we must says Christ, and so we try as tactfully as possible to proceed when the time seems right. Approaching someone in the atmosphere of love and affection they know exists between you two is a good starting point, and sometimes when the wrong committed is made evident, they will in surprise respond that they had no idea they had hurt you. By their utterance of an, “I am so sorry, I never meant to hurt you!” you will know by the spontaneity and sincerity of their reply, they really meant those words. On the other hand, their spontaneous retort of, “Good, I’m glad you were hurt, that’s exactly what I meant!” lets you know the deliberateness of their action, and that you were not wrong to judge their actions. But can you get them to repent, see the error of their ways… that will take much more effort.
Your effort to save their soul never comes from your blanket forgiveness of their wrong, for all that does is give them tolerance for their evil ways, permitting them to continue with an ego boost for getting away with maladaptive behavior. Christ didn’t just say to forgive everyone willy-nilly, but He included the stipulation “if he repents, forgive him.” So please remember Dear Reader, Almighty God lets no one into heaven who is not sorry for his or her sins… His mercy is extended only to His children who repent and atone for wrongs committed. So you are doing a disservice to a poor soul when you freely extend unmerited clemency, for while it may give you an ego boost to be merciful, you really are not gaining any virtue points for walking away from an unrepentant sinner. If however, you continue to try and convert their mind and heart without success, their adamant stance only condemns them all the more, but your extended effort is seen as admirable by Almighty God raising you higher in His esteem for trying.
Knowing what repeat offenders sinners can be, Jesus points out to emphatic ridiculousness, that even as many as seven times in one day we must continue 
to forgive where true sorrow is offered. It is our continued mercy that will help that offender overcome, for change doesn’t come easy and relapses will occur, consequently our daily support is just what is needed for their perseverance to renovation. Particularly when trust is broken, only the passage of time restores faith by showing that an individual is truly working on rebuilding that respect from another with diligent effort. It is easy for an insincere person to mouth an “I’m sorry” to smooth over being caught in a no-no; we have seen many celebs voice remorse publicly to salvage their reputation and then down the road a bit the old ways creep right back in proving repentance was insincere.
When true contrition is evident, our heart will be moved with compassion to accept the sorrowful regret of another and then the forgiveness needed will come forth freely. Dwelling on past mistakes must be overcome with living only in the present… yesterday is gone, and so is the hurt even if it leaves a scar… for now, building anew is all that matters. Imploring Almighty God’s help by both parties in conflict is an essential ingredient in rebuilding, for He, who is so often rightly portrayed like a potter, is the only one who can take our poor existence and reshape it into a much better image with His powers of Divine Intervention.
Trust in fellow human beings can bring disappointment, but not so with Almighty God… He is forever faithful. His commitment to governing His creation with justice should be told to the unrepentant sinner, for just as God can remake an ill-formed being, so can He take that same blackened vessel and smash it to pieces when He sees no reason offered to salvage its existence. Circumstances, for various reasons, may not enable us to make restitution to another we injured, however, we must always admit our sins before God with a contrite heart if we want eternal peace… all we have to say with meaning is, “I am sorry God,” and His merciful heart forgives.
"To err is human; to forgive, Divine." Alexander Pope
From a little white-lie to a grievous offense, humankind continually sins from the genetic hand-me-down of Adam & Eve, our first parents who committed Original Sin in the Garden of Eden. While the natural make-up of our being controls a lot of who we are, it is only when the spiritual formation of who we are kicks-in, that we then become more like our Heavenly Father, a virtuous being that can offer forgiveness. Be human, or be God-like… a choice given us by Him.
Changing Water Into Wine
Converting someone away from sin, or changing a sterile, cold-hearted grouch into a lovable teddy bear would seem as difficult as a leopard changing their spots, for our innate nature we think is beyond change and it’s there to stay… but not so… for what is 
impossible for man is not impossible for Almighty God. Addicts make changes to destructive habits through a painstaking withdrawal where sobriety is achieved after much suffering is endured and often aided with other drugs, while others can give up tobacco smoking “cold turkey” with little to no after effects… all of which usually occur with much prayer and pleading to God for help. Change can most definitely happen, and whether you are on the initiating or receiving end of conversion pleas, remember, only God performs miracles, and that’s exactly what you need.
Christ’s very first miracle was performed at the Wedding Feast in Cana (John 2:1-11) at the request of His Mother when she noticed they had run out of wine for the celebration. Tremendous theology is richly portrayed symbolically in this opening scene of Christ’s public ministry, for we find there the embodiment of God The Father’s purpose in sending His Son to earth… a union of the supernatural with the natural. Christ being invited and attending the marriage confirms the desire and need 
for mankind’s union with the supernatural, especially by the natural running out of the rightful exuberance to life noticed by a very Motherly Mary. An affirmation existed there for her, because she knew that salvation was not only required for mankind by their excessive sinning, but she recognized by that total depletion of goodness, now was the time. Just as Mary gave a positive response to the Angel Gabriel in willingly becoming a participant in The Divine Plan of The Incarnation, she immediately recognized it was time for her son to begin His public ministry and she urged Him into it by stating what was obvious to her and should be with Him… Israel (the wedding guests) had run out of meaningful existence, and there wasn’t a moment to waste. Christ responded to His Mother’s notice and the servants filled up huge stone jars with water at His request, which He then transformed into wine, and such great wine it was recognized to be. Wine was metaphorically the elixir of the gods… seen here as the remedy that turned nothingness into sparkling existence, or symbolically the reversal of plain or sinful existence into a life of greater esteem and with salvation. This changing can also be seen as a foreshadowing of what Christ’s death and resurrection accomplished for humanity, because He was The Savior of mankind who redeemed sinners, and transformed them into heirs of heaven.
Conversion to Christianity is changing water into wine; any individual can seek God’s miraculous help in transforming worthless, or sinful existence into one of greater virtue that will eventually make it to heaven. Jesus cured on the spot, instantly giving sight, releasing horrendous demons without delay, and removing the lesions of leprosy all in the blink of an eye, however, what was necessary expediency at that time is rarely the way God 
works today. He works through natural laws disciplining and guiding us down right paths to an eventual renovation where we have overcome and value our new life free of sin. When we take the first steps toward a new way of life holding God’s hand, we will reach a destination far better than we could have ever chosen on our own. Looking back down the road we will see the times we struggled by ourselves, but upon reaching a new point in life, we will know the joy and inebriation with life that we feel, only came to us by the handiwork of God… The Miracle Maker!
