Daniel 3:13-30
Matthew 18:21-35
Robert Waldrop has written that
“From the midst of the fiery furnace, surrounded by flames yet protected by an angel of the Lord, comes a cry of repentance. Once mighty and powerful Israel has been brought into slavery, captivity, and powerlessness.
“In this state of physical and spiritual poverty, they begin to understand and reflect on the true nature of service to God, which is more than religious practice, it is a humble heart and a contrite spirit.
“It is a fiery crucible, from which Israel emerges with renewed faith and obedience to covenant.
“From Jesus comes teaching regarding reconciliation and a parable fraught with contradiction for the modern world. Forgive? Hah, revenge is better. We wouldn't want anyone to think we are weak and can't protect ourselves.
“But Jesus doesn't seem to be interested in leaving us an 'out', some way to escape from this dilemma. He says, 'Well, the way you deal with those who sin against you is the way God is going to deal with you.'
“The form may be 'parable,' but there doesn't seem to be anything very ambiguous about its conclusion. We've all known people like the unjust debtor of this parable, a person who has received great mercy, but who refuses to extend such mercy to others.
“It's true of individuals, and it's true of structures such as corporations and governments. We need to learn that if we expect mercy, we must be willing extend our own hands in mercy to others.
“Revenge is one of the most ancient human emotions, but it is a dead end quest that brings no satisfaction, only violence, death, and more tragedy.”
Francis Martin has written that
“In our own lives there are often sufferings that have been imposed on us: childhood abuse, spousal abuse, deep rejection. When we bring these to Jesus we must be honest. First, we must acknowledge before him that we have been sinned against.
“Sometimes this is hard enough. Then we must quietly tell him, 'I forgive the person who has committed this injury.' Do not worry about your emotions; just say those words, perhaps in prayer with another. That movement of your heart shares in the infinity of God's mercy.
“Finally, we must also repent for the anger that has been in our own heart. In this way we come to experience even more deeply the freedom of knowing how much we are forgiven, and in some mysterious way we lift a burden from the other person.”
Tertullian wrote, in the third century,
“No longer does prayer bring an angel of dew to the heart of a fiery furnace, or close up the mouths of lions, or transport to the hungry food from the fields. No longer does it remove all sense of pain by the grace it wins for others.
“But it gives the armor of patience to those who suffer, who feel pain, who are distressed. It strengthens the power of grace, so that faith may know what it is gaining from the Lord and understand what it is suffering for the name of God.”
Posted by John
at 3:14 PM CST
