Thursday of Lent 4

DAY 26: March 18, 2021 Thursday of Lent 4- Matthew 6: 14-15

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:14-15 [1]   

An inquisitive student once asked his pastor, “How does Communion taste?”  The pastor replied, “It tastes like….forgiveness!”

Forgiveness. Pardon. Clemency. Absolution. Exoneration. Mercy. These words find their root in the Gospel. It is the message of the cross. “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” – 2 Corinthians 9:15

Today meditate on these clear words. These promises are – for you!

“Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him, in whose spirit there is no deceit." -Psalm 32:1

“Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." - Romans 4:8

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.”  -Colossians 2:9

From the Catechism –

“We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin  against us. “ [2]

“If God does not forgive without stopping we are lost…For where the heart is not in a right relationship with God, or cannot take such confidence, it will not dare to pray anymore. Such a confident and joyful heart can spring from nothing else than the certain knowledge of the forgiveness of sins.” [3]

As Christians, we pray that for Christ’s sake we may know the joy and peace of being forgiven and forgiving others. People cannot live in peace with one another for long unless they forgive one another. 

Almighty and most merciful God, drive from us all weakness of body, mind and spirit; that, being restored to wholeness, we may with free hearts become what You intend us to be and accomplish what You want us to do; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [4]

__________

[1]  Maundy Thursday copyright © Ed Riojas Higher Things

[2] Explanation to the 5^th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Luther’s Small Catechism copyright © 2017 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

[3] Large Catechism III 91-92 Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, second edition, copyright © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

[4]Collect for Thursday of Lent 4, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm