Chapter Three - The Sermon On The Mount
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.
Matthew 5:1-2
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will he shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and he glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you…
Matthew 5:3-12
I would like for you and me to spend this time together in open mindedness so that the spirit of God can speak directly into our hearts. Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
(Matt. 5:3-6)
Tonight I humbly ask you to be the poor in spirit. I ask you to be the meek, and I ask you to become those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Then we will all see the kingdom of heaven, and we shall all be satisfied.
The Future of Christianity
October 28, 1973
Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Being sons of God means being loved by God. When two fingers want to grasp something, they must come together. If two hands are clasped, the very deepest places in both are opened and joined together. When any two people love each other, they want to embrace, not turn their backs on each other. Remaining united is also the expression of love, so when you love each other, you will not separate from each other. If there is no love between you, you may come together anyway but you will be easily drawn apart. But where there is love, its magnetic power will keep you together. To be united means to be perfected in function.
Between nations, too, if any two nations are united, God's love will be there, and they will be blessed with good fortune in their partnership. There is an Oriental saying that where there is harmony in the family, everything can be done. Where there is unity and harmony, the love of God is present, and the ideal can be realized there. In the ideal family, the husband and wife should be one. The children should become united with each other, brothers and sisters, and all together they will be in harmony like a symphony orchestra or a beautiful painting. With love there, no other power can intervene.
So we can come to the conclusion that if and when you want to receive God's love, you must be united. If that is done, you are already living in the kingdom of God on earth. From there, the straight path to God is reached.
New Hope: Twelve Talks by Sun Myung Moon
In the Sermon on the Mount there is an important phrase -- the peacemakers shall be called the sons and daughters of God. The Bible didn't say that only those who obey commands will enter heaven. With how many people have you made harmony? ... Those who can harmonize with other people will rise higher and higher, and ultimately become great leaders.
The Cain-Abel theory in the Unification Church is very strong, and sometimes I worry that it is understood incorrectly. Leaders who are given responsibility sometimes have the mistaken idea that they have sole authority, but I tell you that Abel is only Abel when he saves Cain. Divine Principle teaches that you should love and embrace Cain, and then bring him to the mother. If you sometimes don't get along with your leader but you take care of brothers and sisters, that leader will still look for you because without you he cannot be successful.
This is why the Bible says that when two or more gather to pray, then God will be in their midst. Your prayer is not as powerful when you pray singly as when you pray together. Brothers and sisters should truly unite so they can share life together.
Historical Children's Day
October 28, 1981
If individuals oppose you but you overcome and win a victory then you are restored on the individual level. If you are opposed and persecuted by families but you overcome that, then you are restored on that level. If the whole nation comes against you but you remain dedicated for the sake of the family and nation, then the law of indemnity is accomplished on that level and national salvation comes to you. likewise, if the whole world opposes you, you can … in that level of salvation by being victorious. Perhaps even the spirit world will oppose you.
The Age of New Dispensation
May 14, 1978
Righteousness
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law; you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:20
If you have a lot of ambition or greed in prayer, it is wrong. "My church, my this, my that" has no place in prayer to God, only his love. In Matthew, Jesus clearly told us, "Don't worry about what you eat or wear, that is what the gentiles desire. Just seek for the kingdom and its righteousness." Unification Church members happen to have lots of blessings, but how many received their Blessing through this formula way?
Blessing and Resurrection
March 31, 1991
I have always walked the road of public righteousness throughout my life, so I never feel lonely I can exhibit great courage because God is with me and the universe is supporting me as I walk according to the Principle. Nothing can stop me from moving forward. Even my physical death will not be able to stop my work on this earth. However, those who oppose righteousness will truly be stopped by death.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he spoke to the women weeping beneath him, "Do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children." Even the crucifixion could not stop the power of Jesus' righteousness; it continued to move forward. Jesus was only concerned for the future of the children of Israel. What is the purpose of public righteousness, then? It is to leave behind something better than oneself.
Pure Way of Truth and Public Righteousness
July 18, 1982
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will he given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:31-34
What did Jesus mean when he exclaimed that we should first seek God's kingdom and its righteousness? It would be lamentable if the minds of God and man diverged over mere material things. Being in a state of unity with God's mind, Jesus wished the minds of men were united with his mind.
Let Us Restore God's Kingdom and His Righteousness
October 13, 1957
Righteousness refers to that quality in a person that leads him to pursue goodness and further its purpose. Unrighteousness refers to that quality in a person that leads him to pursue evil and further its satanic purpose. A righteous life is absolutely necessary for the attainment of goodness.
Exposition of the Divine Principle
Creation 4.3.3
Paying The Last Penny
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar: First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer; and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Matthew 5:23-26
Have you ever wondered how a world filled with such evil and corruption could come from a God of love and goodness? If you read the Bible carefully you will see that the fall of man involved the loss of Adam's entire family First, the position of parents was lost through the fall of Adam and Eve. Second, the position of children was lost as Cain murdered Abel. God's blueprint for an ideal family and world perfection was lost. Therefore, to restore the original family God works in reverse to reclaim the positions of Cain and Abel, and then the positions of True Father and True Mother.
This pattern of reconciliation of Cain and Abel as the foundation for restoring the parents has been God's consistent formula throughout the history of restoration. The separation of fallen mankind into a Cain-Abel division occurs over and over again in Judeo-Christian history. God first of all separated fallen mankind into two "brotherly" sides of Cain, symbolizing Satan, and Abel, symbolizing God, to work out the hatreds resulting from the fall.
God used the method of having Abel be hit first and sacrificed. As a result, Abel could stand on that very foundation to embrace Cain and recover the blessing given to the elder son. For example, the religion that most advances the purpose of salvation always receives Satan's most severe persecution. It walks the path of constant opposition yet continues its sacrificial effort to save the sinful world. Likewise, good people always stand in the position to be struck first and sacrificed.
Looking almost anywhere in our fallen world, it is easy to notice struggles between good and evil, similar to the struggle between Abel and Cain. These struggles start in the conflict between each individuals mind and body. The mind, which represents the Abel side, struggles to overcome the body, which represents the Cain side. The struggle within individuals has expanded to the family, nation, and world. As a result, humankind at every level has always been divided into two opposing camps, one good, or Abel-like, and the other evil, or Cain-like, locked in struggle. It has always been God's intention, however, that both sides be restored and reunited, not that one triumphs over and destroys the other.
True Parents and the Completed Testament Age
May 1993
What, then, is the meaning of restoration through indemnity? When someone has lost his original position or state, he has to make some condition to be restored to it. The making of such conditions of restitution is called indemnity. For example, to recover lost reputation, position, or health, one has to make the necessary effort or pay the due price. Suppose two people who once loved each other come to be on bad terms; they need to make some condition of reconciliation before the love they previously enjoyed can be revived. In like manner, it is necessary for human beings who have fallen from God's grace into corruption to fulfill some condition before they can be restored to their true standing.
Exposition of the Divine Principle
Restoration 1.1
The U.S. government's intention in indicting me [on tax charges] was not so much to wage a court battle, but to scare me out of this country The indictment was issued while I was out of the country and the Department of Justice hoped that I would not return. But their expectations were totally wrong. To avoid that battle would have meant acknowledging defeat without putting up a fight. They didn't know that I have always taken the path of restoration through indemnity
I will never shy away from paying the price. Therefore, I willingly returned to America to face the battle. Furthermore, many outstanding people in history have been wrongly condemned through a court decision. I didn't try to escape because I knew that I could not avoid any battle, small or large, if I expected to turn around the destiny of history.
Jesus Christ was condemned and crucified by the government of his time. Many saints were persecuted and condemned by evil governments. History has been stained as evil continually tries to stop righteous people. Thus, some champion must finally come forward and win the victory not only for himself but to vindicate providential history and all the saints who were victimized by the evil political systems of their time.
Victory Celebration
August 21, 1985
Temptation
You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Matthew 5:27-30
Do you realize deeply that Satan's foundation is within your own flesh? Can you say, "Satan's blood is alive in my own body"? How can you cut that satanic element out of your life? The purpose of religion is to control Satan's influence upon your life. Until you can do that, you cannot move to a higher level toward God. For that reason, true religion requires each individual to battle his own fallen self.
Jesus taught people to go a sacrificial course, and now you can understand why: it was to enable each person to separate himself from Satan's foundation. Even sinless Jesus did a 40-day fast, and then Satan tempted him. Why? God allowed Satan to test Jesus, to determine whether Jesus had any fleshly ambition within himself. Satan was looking for some hook, some way to anchor himself within Jesus' body.
What kind of love do you experience? Is your love centered on God or on Satan? What about the person who says, "I like to be kissed every night by a different person"? Is he or she showing satanic or God-centered love? That kind of kiss is thoroughly within Satan's realm.
The Age of Heavenly Parentism
September 3, 1989
Your eyes are literally your enemies, and you need to learn to protect yourself from them. You may notice a handsome man passing by and compare him to your husband. If he beckons and you follow him, Satan can snatch you away at that very moment. You may feel horrified that your own eyes can be your enemy, but it is true.
Since your mission is the liberation of God and mankind, your rightful eyes and ears will affirm that mission. When someone speaks to you in an unprincipled way, saying, "Forget about God! Listen to me and you can have everything you want: nice clothes, nice food. Your life is too short to waste," the words may sound sweet and the ideas tempting. Then cover your ears, because you know Satan can invade you through them.
Sometimes your mouth can be your enemy urging you to eat your favorite foods or to speak words of complaint. Your nose, your hands, the various parts of your body -- all may be your enemies. You must be able to maintain tight control over them. This task is never easy. Many great men have fallen when tempted by the appearance of a beautiful woman.
Now that you know your enemy, how do you guard against it? The enemy can infiltrate through your live senses. When you realize why you should safeguard yourself, you will know to control your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands. The sixth area is the mind, and the sexual organs are the seventh area of vulnerability. A small point of vulnerability in any of these seven areas may eventually bring your downfall. Satan is very confident that you cannot overcome these seven vulnerable areas of sense and thought during your lifetime.
Now we have clearly defined our enemy. Is it outside you or inside you? The enemy is very much inside. You must be able to protect yourself from the enemy within you. If you don't know how to protect yourself, you will become a victim and lose your value. Without the confidence that you can control yourself, it is nonsense to think about the liberation of God and mankind. You never know when Satan may show up. When everything is going wrong and your determination is shaky, Satan will most likely start talking to you...
Mission and Prayer
June 12, 1983
People may think that Jesus was a rock who never moved, but Jesus was a human being. As a man, was he totally indifferent to the attraction between men and women? There is always the force of electricity pulling plus and minus toward each other. Don't you think Jesus felt some sensation when he looked at a woman? Jesus' feet were firmly anchored, but I'm sure his body was turning toward that attraction! However, he was never affected so much that he moved his feet from their right foundation. When an ordinary person feels temptation he usually just jumps into it, but the saints are different. Although a saint may he pulled around somewhat, his feet never budge.
However holy a person may be, he is always hound by his human character and vulnerability. All the saints and even Jesus himself began with certain principles. During their own period of instability they learned to deal with temptation and reasoned out their standards, until finally they had rock-like foundations within themselves. A saint knows he is a human being, but he shapes his human character inside the palace of the universe.
Parents, Children and the World Centered on Oneself
June 5, 1983
Love Your Enemy
Thu have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Matthew 5:43-48
If God were to adopt a philosophy of looking on Satan as his enemy and seeking revenge against him, then God would never be able to stand on the summit of victory Thus, God has said, "love your enemy," and has carried out a strategy of love. The words "love your enemy" also represent the pinnacle of Jesus' teaching.
It is remarkable that Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, stood before Satan and prayed for him despite the fact that Satan was trying to kill him. If Jesus, as he hung dying on the cross, had held any feelings of malice toward his enemy, God's providence would have been turned completely upside-down. Satan surrendered because Jesus overcame death with a heart of loving his enemies and of praying that his enemies might be blessed.
World Unification and North-South Will Be Accomplished by True Love
February 10, 2000
In our history we have had many saints, many holy people, many wise people and philosophers. From among those great men we should be able to pick one who could give his life for his enemies, who even at the moment of his own death could still have room in his heart to bless his enemies, one who could be concerned with his enemies' welfare rather than his own.
In history there are many teachings. One is that if someone mistreats you, repay him in the same way: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. However, the most revolutionary teaching was given by the saint who said, "Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you." Needless to say, that was Jesus Christ.
Did Jesus make up his own proclamations, or was he teaching according to someone else's will, denying his own ego? What do you think? Jesus was not proclaiming his own message. Above him was someone else: God. Jesus' teaching was God's teaching; his emotional reaction to things was not his own. This means that the proclamations that Jesus made were God's, and God can he trusted 100 percent.
In this universe there is only one being you can fully trust: God; and his characteristics were manifested through Jesus Christ. God's words are always truth. He cannot tell any lies, and his actions or his instructions are always for your benefit, not his. He will never take advantage of you for his own benefit. He is the one who can always be trusted. I found God to be the one subject who can be absolutely trusted. That's why I believe in God.
Let Us Meet Opportunity Well
January 2, 1977
Let's look at the standard of love established by God. How much did God love his own enemy? God loves his enemy so much that the sacrificed his own Son in order to save his enemy. If you can pour out such unlimited, unconditional love for your enemy, then Satan will give up and say, "I could never do that. I could never be in the position to receive such love." At that point Satan will surrender and retreat.
The Road of God's Will
May 30, 1982
If we do not love our enemy, there is no way we can achieve peace. Also, the concept of enemy has to be a temporary thing. Eventually it must cease to exist. If the enemy relationship continued eternally, it would mean that God consisted of both good and evil, that there were two Gods, m essence. But that is not the case. God is not two, God is only one. He didn't create any enemy.
There is no stronger indemnity than that of loving one's enemy God sacrificed his own child, Jesus, in order to save the children of his enemy, Satan. What an impossible situation God found himself in.
Liberation and My Ownership
March 14, 1993
Be Perfect As Your Heavenly Father 1s Perfect
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48
The entire purpose of Jesus' coming can be summarized in one sentence: Jesus came to bring the resurrection needed to perfect man's love to the point where men can come into the direct dominion of God's love.
True Parents and I
June 15, 1986
Jesus is a Son of God simply because he was perfectly united with God in will and in heart. Because of that oneness Jesus Christ could willingly die for the rest of the world. How can you become the true sons and daughters of Christ? By becoming perfectly one with Christ, one with his spirit and one with his heart. If you are perfectly united with Jesus Christ, you can be a willing sacrifice for the salvation of the rest of the world. The true Christians are those who are willing to sacrifice themselves, their own church, and their denomination for the fulfillment of the will of God for world salvation.
God's Will and Christmas
December 25, 1976
Do you know how Jesus Christ subjugated Satan? There was a sharp contrast between the desires of Jesus and those of Satan. Satan wanted to have the center position of the world. He wanted to be the Lord. He wanted everyone to focus upon him, but Jesus would not. Jesus offered an alternative. Jesus focused upon God and taught others to do the same. This difference gave Jesus the weapon to subjugate Satan. Jesus' battle was tough and rugged, a suffering one, leading him up the hill of Calvary bearing the cross. Jesus nailed himself upon the cross as a sacrifice.
Jesus wanted Peter's undying love. Jesus wanted the disciple, not as a follower, but to be as Jesus himself. Jesus wanted his disciple to be another Jesus. Jesus wanted his disciple to be not merely a follower but to become as perfect and as great as he was himself. I discovered that this is the real way to serve God. Do not just be a follower, merely, a receiver of the command, but be one with God, he one with Christ.
Untitled
March 12, 1965
Prayer
And when you pray; do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father; who is unseen. Then your Father; who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray; do not keep on babbling like pagan, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him
Matthew 6:5-13
If you pray unconsciously in everyday life, then undoubtedly you are becoming sons and daughters of prayer. If you give your last ounce of energy but it is not enough, then ask God for assistance and your prayer will be answered. If that were not the case, how could we ever subjugate Satan? Satan has given unending anguish and heartbreak to God for 6,000 years; and if there were no way we could finally subjugate him then there would be no end to it.
Prayer is like a covenant between you and God, a promise. Once you make a contract, you follow through and then it will undoubtedly, be fulfilled.
You should not be disappointed when prayer is not answered immediately. Some answers come late. At other times you should not be overjoyed when prayer is answered quickly. That is not necessarily the best thing.
Because you are surrounded by the world, there are many stages to go through horizontally and vertically. The answer to prayer does not come from you but down from heaven and it takes time to reach you. There have been many foolish people who received answers to their prayers up to a point but who didn't go the final inch, and when they weren't satisfied they betrayed God. When you pray for the world you may not see things changing immediately around you, but far away the communist world starts to crumble. The impact of prayer can be felt in a faraway place.
When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane he was deadly serious, shedding tears, sweat, and blood. All day long you should be in a prayer mood, not just one hour, but 24 hours. What prayer position do you prefer? The best is to kneel and lower your head. You have to restrict your body's freedom, as though it were bound. You will feel pain, but overcome it because you should be serious.
Then God will know your attitude. That is a necessity for prayer. Without prayer Jesus and the saints could not have done the great things that had an impact on the world. When you resort to the power of prayer, you can have hope because you never know when the fulfillment will come.
The Importance of Prayer
April 15, 1979
When we pray, for whom do we pray? What would be more appealing to God, to pray for the sake of oneself or for the sake of God? If we pray for the sake of God, "I" come on the scene only secondarily. First it is God, then me as God wishes me to be. My preference is always to be on the side that God is on. If God is on the east side, that's the side I want to be on. But if I pray and find out that God wants me on the west side, I should say, "Yes, I want to go to the west side." If we think, `No, I want to be on the east side no matter what you think" then our prayer cannot succeed.
God has a purpose for us and God is the main theme of prayer. You don't have to pray too much about yourself. Those who pray for themselves will decline and those who pray for God and the rest of the world will rise.
Most Unification Church members know that the restoration of the world is the ultimate objective of prayer. All day long you think about the world and maybe for a few minutes you verbalize it and pray, "Heavenly Father, please help me work today for the sake of the whole world and for you!" That prayer is more powerful than a prayer for small things. Small prayers are like leaves and twigs on a tree, whereas the other kind of prayer is like the trunk.
Lifestyle of Prayer
January 18, 1987
The Sermon On The Mount
This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one...'
Matthew 6:9-10
When you pray, your heart should be as earnest as a baby who cries for his mother's milk. You should pray with the pure heart of a child asking his own father.
Before you pray for God's will, separate the good and evil in your mind and body. Pray to God, being aware of your own sin. First attain peace in your mind and then pray. First inspire your mind so that through it you may open the way to be able to pray. On this foundation the divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can be connected with your mind.
We have so far prayed that God may give us blessing, but now is the time to pray: "I will give my blessings to you, God, so please take them." As you walk, pray that you may he able to live according to God's words, and that they may be transformed into flesh and blood and move within you. Pray, "Father, I would like to give to all people, so please enable me to do so." The time of prayer is not the time when we become proud, but the time when we offer a sacrifice.
Prayer is to be accompanied by sacrifice and sincerity. God loves to hear the confident prayer of a brave man praying in the most lonely and adventurous situation.
A husband and wife should pray in tears early in the morning, holding the hands of their children. When the children experience this, it becomes their tradition.
Excerpted from The Way of God's Will
On Earth As In Heaven
This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-10
If there had been no fall, the situation on earth and in heaven would have been perfectly, parallel. On earth there would be the individual, family, society, nation, and world under God and the same would he seen in the spirit world. It would be one united world. It is God's will to see perfection come first here on earth; God never intended to have his kingdom established in spirit world and then copied here on earth. Christians commonly think that the heavenly kingdom in spirit world is the perfected kingdom, but that is not true. Without perfection here on earth, no perfection can be obtained there.
There was always a blueprint in the mind of God, an original plan that always has been and will always remain perfect, even though the physical realization of these plans has never yet been seen. Jesus prayed, "Thy will be done here on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus knew the perfection of God's will in heaven and he brought that will to earth, coming to establish perfection here so that mankind would bring the kingdom into heaven.
God's Will and Christmas
December 25, 1976
When Jesus said, "Thy will be done," he also said, "on earth as it is in heaven." This is not to say that the restoration is completed in the spiritual world, but it does mean that there is one central figure, a hierarchy, and a completely, organized chain of command in spirit world. In the physical world, there is no central figure, no hierarchy no chain of command. This is what Jesus was speaking about.
Another way to describe the goal of restoration is that the physical world needs a system parallel with the spirit world. God has been trying to establish a channel of command and a centralized system here on earth -- as it is in heaven -- by erecting religions and encouraging spiritual works. That is the goal of restoration.
A life of Attendance and the Heavenly Kingdom
February 15, 1987
Forgiveness
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Fatter will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15
Today's human society is corrupt, and philosophies are becoming self-centered. To sweep away these philosophies, only God's love -- true love -- can suffice. True love is the love to give and give without expecting any return: Give and forget.
True Love and the Unified World
November 28, 1986
As human beings, we want to see our love partner become thousands of times greater than ourselves. Where did we learn that? From God. God wants to see human beings, as his love partners, become this way. That's why we should give and forget, give and forget and live our life for the sake of others. God has been investing himself and forgetting throughout human history. Isn't that right? Logically, this is the principle; even God has no choice but to follow it.
It even applies to the conjugal relationship. If as a wife you want to see your husband become ten, hundred, thousand times greater than yourself, what you have to do is invest yourself, living your life for the sake of your husband over and over again, forgetting what you have done for your husband. Then naturally it will happen. Step by step, you and your husband will develop a mutual relationship of living for the sake of each other. Together you will go up toward the summit.
Everybody Wants True Love
March 14, 1999
My attitude is to forgive and forget... As long as I follow God's way my worst critics will eventually apologize, and in the future their families will respect me, and my children. I have been in prison many times, particularly in communist prisons. I was called a prisoner but I was never ashamed; I always walked with dignity. Although I never committed a crime, after I was released I never desired to return to gain revenge. Rather, I prayed to God, "Father, forgive them so that these people can open their hearts and be united with me." With that heart I walked out of the prison camp. This is the path God has been walking for thousands of years.
Where Do We Go?
September 17, 1978
When I was persecuted by the communist regime in North Korea, the police arrested me and tortured me until they thought I was dead. Don't you think that I could have felt resentment toward my situation at such times? I could have demanded of God, "Why are you allowing me to suffer like this? Why can't you do something to protect me, since you are so great and powerful?" This would have been the common reaction. But even though my hands were bruised and bleeding, I clasped them in prayer for those who tortured me. I know that those who beat me were only acting on orders; they could not reject me completely. I longed to embrace them and forgive them. I refused to write them off. You likewise should not give up when you encounter opposition or difficulties.
True Parents and Our Responsibility
December 27, 1981
Church leaders here, when you take care of your people and see someone with a shortcoming, don't directly criticize his faults simply as his. Rather, observe how you can forgive him. See if you can find something praise worthy in his wife. If the wife is worse than the husband, then look at his children. If even the children are worse, then look at his mother and father. A man's parents must have some good points. If I thus treat him with the heart of parent's love, the blessings that have been accumulated within his family emerge and make a relationship with me. This is the way to engraft blessings. Do you understand?
With Jungsung and Love
January 5. 1999
Have you African-American members carried some kind of hidden grudge against white people? You can have two thoughts -- one, that some day you will get revenge for injustice done, or two, that you sincerely love them, becoming one with them in true love. For hundreds of years you have been oppressed and enslaved, but can you forgive and forget that, and tell God you want to love others regardless?
Let Us Think
May 6, 1979
Judge Not, Lest You Ye Judged
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will he judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can You say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? Thou hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Matthew 7:1-5
When I doubt people, I feel pain.
When I judge people, it is unbearable.
When I hate people, there is no value to my existence.
Yet if I believe, I am deceived.
If I love, I am betrayed.
Suffering and grieving tonight, my head in my hands
Am I wrong?
Yes, I am wrong.
Even though we are deceived, still believe.
Though we are betrayed, still forgive.
Love completely even those who hate you.
Wipe your tears away and welcome with a smile.
Those who know nothing but deceit.
And those who betray without regret.
Oh Master! The pain of loving!
Look at my hands.
Place your hand on my chest.
My heart is bursting, such agony!
But when I loved those who acted against me I brought victory.
If you have done the same thing,
I will give you the crown of glory.
The Crown of Glory
(Written when Rev. Moon was 16 years old)
The grace you received from God is not only for your sake. It is grace for the sake of society, people, the world, God's will, and heaven. Despite this, most people ding to this grace and secure their seat in their own sphere of life, and try to enjoy it only as their own. However, this grace will leave you because it can no longer remain in that place.
Therefore, if you have received some divine favor from heaven, then with the heart of righteous indignation you can fight with Satan on behalf of heaven. You should not act in judgment centering on yourself. Similarly, it you try, to take advantage of the granted divine favor, centering on yourself, or try to judge others, centering on yourself, then, because this is not the right attitude of faith, you will not be able to walk the correct path of God's will.
Let the Sleeping World Awaken
May 19, 1957
Now that we know the correct way to live, we need not criticize others; the only thing we need to do is go the right way.
The Deep Desire of Our Original Nature
February 14, 1982