Thursday, October 27, 2011

Psalm 20, Deuteronomy 29:1-29, Matthew 18:21-35 - Lectionary for 10/27/11

Today's readings are Psalm 20, Deuteronomy 29:1-29, and Matthew 18:21-35.

We are warned in today's readings against an arrogant spirit. Since I said that you might expect me to go straight to our Gospel reading. But in fact I'm thinking about the warning of Deuteronomy 29:18-19. How should we react to God's deliverance? Will we have a believing heart and confess that we have been chosen by God not due to our goodness but purely from his grace? Or will we decide that God showed good judgment because we're the kind of people who deserved mercy? Will we become unbelieving in our arrogance? Or will we confess that we stand only in the redeeming love of our savior?

So we go to the parable after all. What was our debt of sin? It was a debt we could never pay. Let us then accept God's grace as what it is - pure grace that forgives us. We have no call for arrogance, only grateful thanksgiving.

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