Matthew 18:1-6 & Ephesians 4:25-32
We reach the third week of four on our series on the Lord’s
Prayer – for me it has been a revelation, as I have heard two really great
reflections on the opening lines.
Hearing others’ reflections is always helpful and I am
blessed to be able to receive that blessing during the summer months.
This week we reach the thorny issue of forgiveness.
It would be very easy to be distracted by the word debts, and
focus only on one aspect – money.
Of course this really has absolutely nothing to do with
financial debt, and everything to do with personal, indebtedness; the things we
do which are so very difficult to undo.
And, the things done to us which we find so hard to let go
of… and there’s the rub.
If we want God to forgive us; to wipe the slate clean and
help us make a fresh start, then we need to start with our relationship with
others.
The words in the prayer are very specific: forgive us, as we
forgive others.
Today is all about family. We have just welcomed this darling
wee boy into God’s family – our family; we have witnessed as his parents
promise to love him and cherish him, and we all feel the joy and wonder of this
occasion.
Baptism is the physical sign of something much deeper; in it
we are reminded of all that God, in Christ did for us.
Jesus was baptised
He lived, and died and rose again – so that we could have
these promises: to be part of God’s family.
He taught us to pray: and when we pray he taught us to
acknowledge that we need to forgive just as much as we need to be forgiven.
If I hurt you and simply say, it’s ok, God’s forgiven me for
the hurt, but don’t make it right with you too, then I am not worthy of that gift
from God.
If I truly want to know forgiveness, I must make good on the whole
thing.
It’s that simple.
Forgiveness, like so many other parts of our relationships,
is a two-way thing.
And sometimes. Sometimes even if we don’t feel we are in the
wrong, to save the relationship, or to preserve the spirit, we have to make the
first step.
Speak up
Speak out
Build the bridges
Live the love
Be the one who is big enough, brave enough to say – hey, I’m
sorry.
This is painful to us all; can we start over? Make it better?
Try again?
When we welcome babies, or people of any age into the church
we are affirming that we are all in this together.
We are all part of one big family.
And we all know families can be both the best and the worst!!
When families fall out – it can sometimes be hardest, the
slowest to heal.
But when families stick together – they show the strongest
bond that exists.
As we welcome wee Byron into the church family; we do more
than just witness one simple action.
We promise to pray for him; his family and all God’s
children.
That means we are promising again to pray for each other; to
pray for those we love, and those we find difficult; we are promising that in
all things, we trust in God, to find a way through the mess of difficult
things, into the promise of new and wondrous things.
In all the different version of the Lord’s prayer (which you
can see again at Hy 652) – forgive us includes: debts, sins, trespasses… how we
choose to live it is up to us.
How we choose to receive it – that’s for us too!
Open armed
Joyous
Hopeful…
For as we forgive, so may God forgive us too.
And that’s something to rejoice over!
Byron George - bless
your walk in this world; may you find in all your relationships – over a long
and blessed life – forgiveness, understanding, compassion and true acceptance.
Amen
