NOTES for Deu 15:1-23
In the context of the Gospel, the cross means Christ's sacrificial love. The passage from Deuteronomy explains how this love can be embodied in our relationships with our neighbors. Forgiveness is an action in which we are ready to give something up for another person's sake, in order to preserve the love between us. Sometimes we must give up demanding repayment of a debt—recall the Sermon on the Mount—and sometimes our ambitions, wounded pride, or emotional comfort. The greater what we give up and the more we forgive, the greater the love binding us to our neighbor, who may sometimes be someone we barely know. When we understand that another person is more important to us than our other values, whether material or spiritual, we begin to understand what love is...