What do we get by forgiving and loving others? What's in it for us? Jesus actually answers those questions. "I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:44-45a). In 6:14-15 Jesus goes on to say, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." If we go beyond loving those who love us (Matthew 5:46), we can participate in the divine forgiveness that God the Father offers, be true sons of the Father, and have our sins forgiven also. Those promises would be incentive enough, but forgiving others sets us free from the judgments we have made (Matthew 7:1-2) and brings spiritual and (often)physical healing to our bodies. For reflection: What lingering unforgiveness can I get rid of this week, before Easter? Let us pray. "My prayer is not for them alone (the apostles). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-21).
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Returning to Matthew 5, looking at verses 23-24, Jesus puts a twist into what I would expect him to say. I expect him to say, "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that you have something against your brother, go and be reconciled first." That would follow naturally from his previous statement, "anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." But that is not what he says. What Jesus says is, "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" (Matthew 5:23-24). Did Jesus get confused about who was angry with whom? I don't think so. He was making his point from both sides. It doesn't matter if you are angry with your brother, or if your brother is angry with you; it must be dealt with quickly, now, immediately. Make all haste to deal with it. Don't let the sun go down another day. We can't approach the altar when we are angry with someone because our relationship with others reflects our relationship with God. As John says, (1 John 4:20), "If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." For reflection: Before the sun goes down today, who can I set free from my teenage years? With whom am I angry? Who is angry with me? Let us pray. Jesus, the body of Christ is hurt, bruised, broken and some of the fault is mine. I have stepped on toes, twisted arms, knocked the knees out from under. I have broken hearts. I have left people handcuffed and tongue-tied. I have berated and belittled. Show me how to do my part to build up the body rather than tear it down. Monday we spoke of the diplomatic mission of Kingdom ambassadors. The message of that mission is reconciliation with God, with ourselves and with others. For whatever reason, Christians have not yet completed that mission. We are not alone in this mission, as no ambassador is alone. We have the full faith and credit of the Kingdom of God behind us. We have Jesus behind us. He promised, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20). We have the Holy Spirit behind us. "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16). For reflection: Many people will be gathering with family this week. It is often our families with whom we most need to be reconciled. Can we humble ourselves and be the first to say, "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" Let us pray. Jesus, there are people in my family whom I have hurt. Please open the door and help me to say, "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" On the national Mall today there is a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the famous "I have a dream" speech by Martin Luther King. Dr. King had a big dream, but God's dream is bigger still. God's dream is contained in Jesus' prayer, "that all may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17:21-23). For reflection: Have I bought into God's dream? What am I doing to bring it about? Let us pray. Jesus, we join our prayer with yours today - that we may all be one even as you and the Father are one. School has begun in many places either last week or this week. Thinking about children reminded me of St. John's habit of addressing us as "dear children" in his letters. By the time John writes his letters he is an older man. A little bit of the newness of Christianity has begun to wear off and some people have begun to slip back into their old ways. False teachers have come along and led people astray. John, one of the original 12 disciples, an eyewitness to the life of Jesus, sets out to correct this and does it by presenting for us several contrasts or choices. The first is light versus darkness. "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." (1 John 1:5-6). One of the false teachings in John's day was that you could gratify all of your physical desires in whatever way you wanted because your body was going to die anyway. That teaching is still around; it has never gone out of style. Christians today are still tempted by that teaching. But like the college freshman who discovers he has the option to eat ice cream at every meal, we eventually face the consequences of our actions. Some are physical consequences, like the gaining of weight, and some are spiritual consequences, like deadening our spirits to what is really right and wrong. When we deaden our spirits to the truth of right and wrong, we refuse to repent when faced with our sin. We prefer to walk in darkness rather than in the light. For reflection: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). Let us pray. Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to offer himself for my sin. May I always take advantage of that sacrifice and confess my sin. I want always to walk in your light. Please help me to recognize false teachings and to reject the lure of error and sin. |
AliceI started this website and blog on May 1, 2012. I am a Catholic who has been in ministry for many years. I first developed what I would call a close relationship with Jesus in the early 1970s. Ever since then I have been praying with people for healing and other needs. It is because I have seen so many of these prayers answered that I am so bold as to offer to pray for you individually through this website and phone line. Archives
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