Bishop Eric Menees
Throughout the Season of Advent, the themes that run through
our lectionary are Repentance and Reconciliation in preparation for the Lord’s
Second Advent.
Last week in the Bishop’s Note I spoke about repentance.
This week I’d like to focus on the fruit of repentance - reconciliation.
Reconciliation means: “to bring back together.” Our sin
separates us from God, and our repentance, with God’s Grace, brings us back
together again.
However, we cannot be fully reunited with God if we are not
actively seeking to reconcile with our family and friends with whom we’ve
become estranged. What is it that the Lord’s Prayer says? Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
How are we reconciled? Admitting our fault and asking for
forgiveness reconcile us. The promise of God is that, if we ask for forgiveness
with a clean and contrite heart, He will forgive us.
What does scripture tell us about reconciliation with
God? “7 But if we walk in the light, as
he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus
his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
(1 John 1:7-10.) The promise of
scripture is that if we but ask with a “clean and contrite heart,” God will
forgive us. The problem is that we are often afraid that our family and friends
will not!
Ultimately, we have no power over another person to demand
forgiveness. But here’s the thing – we can be that person who forgives, even if
that person doesn’t forgive us!
Why should we forgive? Because that is what God wants us to
do! Jesus said, so many times, that we should forgive someone who sins against
us. Then Peter came up and said asked him: “Lord, how often will my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I
do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Mt. 18: 21-22)
And here’s the thing… Forgiveness is a decision, NOT a
feeling! We do not forgive because we feel forgiving; we forgive because we are
commanded to forgive. When we make the decision to forgive another, we are the
ones released from the captivity of unforgiveness. This is true whether the
person we choose to forgive is repentant or not; kind or not; receptive or not.
We do this because Jesus does this for us – over and over again!
I pray you all a very blessed third Sunday in Advent.
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