Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Heavenly Father,
your Son battled with the powers of darkness,
and grew closer to you in the desert:
help us to use these days
to grow in wisdom and prayer
that we may witness to your saving love
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 130
Out of the depths have I cried to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice;
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you shall be feared.
I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;
in his word is my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord,
more than the night watch for the morning,
more than the night watch for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the Lord,
for with the Lord there is mercy;
With him is plenteous redemption
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Matthew 5.20-26
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire.
‘So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.’
Reflection
… first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
Yesterday we reflected upon what it means to do to others as you would have them do to you; today we dig deeper into the complexities associated with living alongside others, and how those complexities might affect our relationship with God.
Some of the most terrible words we can utter include: ‘I can never forgive …’, or ‘They deserve all they get …’, or ‘I hate …’. These terrible words certainly express the distance we feel from fellow human beings, they also express how distant we are from God.
Human beings certainly do ghastly things to each other. Those actions may be silent and manipulative or cruel and abusive, they may exploit physical or intellectual incapacity, or they may leave us dumbfounded that anyone can derive pleasure from inflicting misery and pain. As humanity has evolved down the millennia, it has also developed the skill of being inhumane to those who are perceived to be the weakest and least resourceful. The cruelty we encounter in the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16) continues to be played out time and time again: day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, second after second.
As we think about that horrific fact, let us also remember that many of those who utter words of anger, hatred and revenge (even to this day) would also claim to be people of faith. Many would even claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Today’s reading is for us all. As we succumb to feelings of anger, hatred and revenge, we need to recall today’s verses from the Sermon on the Mount. Near the beginning of Jesus’ great proclamation of a new way towards realizing God’s Kingdom on earth stands these words: first be reconciled to your brother and sister.
God knows the secrets of our hearts. God is not deceived by the fluency with which we utter the words or perform the rituals. Later in the gospel narrative Jesus labels the fluent and proficient religious leaders of first century Judaism as ‘hypocrites’, that is, ‘actors’ playing out a part which is in no way genuine. If we cannot let go of the feelings of anger, hatred and revenge we cannot expect to be welcomed into God’s loving embrace.
As we journey through Lent, whether we have already given something up or not, let us give up all that keeps us apart from our fellow human beings, whoever and whatever they may be, and let us take those first steps into a closer relationship with God.
Prayers of intercession
With purity of heart and in love to all his people, let us pray to the Lord.
Guide your Church to walk in the right way, holding faith in Christ alone. Working together for your will, may we be truly of your building.
When so many conflicting voices are heard and burdens of choice are often heavy, lead the peoples of the world into the right way, to follow life and not death, good and not evil.
Inspire us, our families and friends, with the spirit of true love and purity. Take away the hidden anger and the unresolved conflicts that can mar our lives.
Have mercy on those whose anger and resentment holds them back from fullness of life. Help those who are hurt and cannot forgive. Heal the wounds of broken faith in close relationships.
We give thanks for the faith of those who have laboured well in this world and are now at rest. We pray for those who died bitter and unforgiving: grant them pardon and peace.
Submitting to the judgement of the only true Judge and trusting in his mercy, we lay before him this our offering of prayer.
Prayer for the week
Most merciful God and Father,
give us true repentance for our sins.
Open our eyes to recognize the truth about ourselves;
so that acknowledging our faults,
our weakness and our failures,
we may receive your forgiveness
and find in your love the encouragement
to make a new beginning;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.