Lenten Devotion Day 35: April 18

For the Monday in Holy Week, we welcome guest blogger Susan Van Abs, who shares her thoughts with us on what it means to be in relationship with God and neighbor.

Lenten Reflection for Day 35

Date: Monday April 18, 2011 (Monday in Holy Week)

Author: Susan Van Abs

Bible Passage:

Matthew 5:23–24 (NRSV)

²³ So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

Reflection:

I remember being told as a child “Do not end your day angry with someone. Make amends with them because you might never get a chance.” As a child, I probably was not thinking in terms of relationships and their importance, nor was I worrying about making things right with them.

This passage from Matthew 5 is all about relationships and forgiveness. It has to do with our relationship with God and with one another. It is about asking for forgiveness for ourselves of anything we have done to another person to make them feel bad or ill-willed towards us. It is the ultimate forgiveness that we were given when Christ died on the cross for our sins.

We cannot love our neighbors if we do not love God. We cannot love God, if we do not love our neighbor. When we bring an offering to God and we have a strained relationship with another person, then our offering is not being given to honor God. When we make our relationship right with the person whom we offended or who offended us, we are making our relationship right with God.

In the Old Testament there are numerous accounts of offerings and sacrifices to God. I am reminded of the story in Genesis of Abraham and Isaac. God tells Abraham to offer his son Isaac as an offering to him. Abraham obeys and prepares wood for the fire, builds an altar, ties Isaac on to the altar and gets ready to kill him. Abraham has such faith and love for God, he was willing to sacrifice his son. Because Abraham did what God told him to do, Isaac was spared. Abraham was blessed. Abraham’s relationship was right with God.

Fast track to the Gospels. God made the ultimate sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ, who bore pain and suffering upon the cross to save us from our sins. Forgiveness - freely given.

When we bring an offering to God and we take the painful steps to make peace with our neighbors, our relationship is made right with God. We are bringing our offering to honor God in joy, praise and thanksgiving for all he has given us, especially forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

Gracious God, thank you for the gift of relationships. Help me to reconcile and heal any wounds I have inflicted on others and to graciously accept your gift of forgiveness. Thank you for the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. Amen