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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion March 12, 2005 Don’t Drink Poison |
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Frontline Devotion for Saturday, March 12, 2005 By Brenda
Kessler
Matthew
18: 21-22 and Luke
17: 4
“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)
In Luke 17, verse 4, we read, “Be alert. If you see your friend going
wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s
personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times
he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.” (The
Message, the Bible in Contemporary Language)
“Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” In other words, Jesus’
answer was that we are to forgive an infinite number of times. Family
relationships and community relationships depend on members forgiving one
another over and over and over again.
In both passages I am reminded that forgiveness isn’t a “me and Jesus”
thing. Forgiveness occurs in relationships. I am expected to do more than
ask God to help me to forgive if I have been wronged. I am expected to do
more than ask God for forgiveness if I am the wrongdoer. I am expected to
talk with the person I have wronged and ask for forgiveness; I am expected to
talk with the person who has wronged me rather than build up resentment.
“Holding on to resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other
person to die,” said the Rev. David Clift of Duck United Methodist Church in
Duck, North Carolina, in a sermon entitled “The Lord’s Prayer-Prayer of
Release.”
Don’t drink poison. “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13
Prayer: Thank you, God, for relationships. Help us to know when we
wrong other persons. Help us to know when we have been wronged.
Forgive us and help us to forgive. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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