Forgive thy brother

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times - Matthew 18:21-22, NIV

I haven't come across any explicit commandment in the Bible to forgive my enemies, although commandments to love my enemies, bless those who curse me, do good unto those who hate me, must also imply that I forgive them in the process. How does one love and bless another if unforgiveness remains?

Personally, I find forgiving enemies easier than forgiving brothers because I don't have any enemy other than Satan, but I do have many brothers in Christ.

Forgiveness is a tall order, especially between brothers who are both supposed to love the Lord and each other. Remember the two greatest commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 12:30-31?

When one does something to hurt another in the family of Christ, it shakes the Christian's order of things. "It's not supposed to be this way!", we cry out in despair. Our Lord's prescription to restore this order is none other than that which He personally subscribes to, as seen in Luke 23:34 "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.". And don't just forgive them - love them. Wash their feet if you must, including those of Judas Iscariot. The Lord Himself went through all these breaches of trust and betrayal of love. Are things not supposed to be this way?

Be joyful, for "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." - Matthew 5:11-12, NIV

Thomas