Last week we looked at Matthew Chapter five and all of the difficult things that Jesus had to say in that passage. One transitional thing I meant to say but somehow left out, was that Jesus’ warning of "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees you will surely not enter the kingdom of heaven" was not a warning for us to DO more than the Pharisees or to "do better things" than the Pharisees. I think what he was getting at was that the Pharisees managed to know the letter of the law and not live it out. That's why we talked about specific ways we could live it out, practically in service to the poor in our area. However, even that list of good things to do should not be taken as a pharisaic to-do list but rather as a response to knowing God and His will.
While last week we looked at a whole section of various difficult words from Jesus, this week we begin to look at places where he said short and specific things. This week is Matthew Chapter 6:12-15: "Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.... for if we forgive others our heavenly father will forgive us, but if we do not forgive others neither will our heavenly father forgive us."
Personally, I can't think of a much more disturbing passage than this passage right in the middle of the Lord’s prayer. Jesus does not mince words in telling us our forgiveness from God is contingent upon the extent to which we are able to forgive others. In short he is saying, "God, deal with us as we deal with others." When I think about how I frequently deal with others unfairly, I sometimes cringe at this. “God forgive me as I forgive my kids!” “God forgive me as I forgive my coworkers.” Truth is, I usually only forgive those who I think deserve to be forgiven. Is that how God deals with us?
If God deals with us the way we deal with others, I think many of us might be in big trouble. This week we want to look at this difficult passage and talk about its implications for our lives, our families, our marriages and our homes.
Mark
While last week we looked at a whole section of various difficult words from Jesus, this week we begin to look at places where he said short and specific things. This week is Matthew Chapter 6:12-15: "Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.... for if we forgive others our heavenly father will forgive us, but if we do not forgive others neither will our heavenly father forgive us."
Personally, I can't think of a much more disturbing passage than this passage right in the middle of the Lord’s prayer. Jesus does not mince words in telling us our forgiveness from God is contingent upon the extent to which we are able to forgive others. In short he is saying, "God, deal with us as we deal with others." When I think about how I frequently deal with others unfairly, I sometimes cringe at this. “God forgive me as I forgive my kids!” “God forgive me as I forgive my coworkers.” Truth is, I usually only forgive those who I think deserve to be forgiven. Is that how God deals with us?
If God deals with us the way we deal with others, I think many of us might be in big trouble. This week we want to look at this difficult passage and talk about its implications for our lives, our families, our marriages and our homes.
Mark
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