"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins." Mark 11:25
Forgiveness is essential to our relationship with God. We must be forgiven by Him and as ones who have been forgiven we must learn to forgive those who hurt and disappoint us. If Christ forgave those who crucified Him then who are we to hold anyone's hurtful treatment of us against them. Through forgiveness we not only release the one whom we forgive but we are released to commune freely with our heavenly Father. Forgiveness is a sign of the life of Christ in me.
Father, as You have forgiven me help me to forgive anyone who hurts or disappoints me so that I may walk in Your love and character.
I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark
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This is Sunday of the week that Jesus was crucified. He rides into town with the shouting of the crowd. Their shouts indicate they thought He was the one who was to come. Jesus enters Jerusalem and went to the Temple. The sight must have repulsed Him but because it was late He left and took His disciples to Bethany for the night. He would deal with the flagrant disregard for worship in the Temple the next day. When He returned the next day, He was hungry and approached a barren fig tree. After cursing the tree He went into the Temple and began driving out those who had set up shop and were robbing people. They had turned His Father’s House into anything but a place of prayer for all nations. These two incidents were probably related. The fig tree was supposed to produce fruit but had none. The Temple was an example of religion without substance. Neither were producing the intended fruit for which they were created. The sellers in the Temple were actually taking up the space in which Gentiles could worship. Selling sacrifice animals and exchanging money into the only approved temple currency was very profitable at this time of the year. This act amazed the people and infuriated the chief priests and teachers of the law. When evening came Jesus and His disciples went out of town. The theme of the next day was forgive others and pray with faith, and nothing will be impossible for you. Forgiveness and prayer seem to go together. There is no room in the Christian’s life for unforgiveness— none! The religious leaders asked Jesus by what authority He did these things. Jesus, knowing their motives, countered their question with a question about where the Baptism of John the Baptist came from — God or man. The religious leaders knew they were trapped and said they did not know. Jesus then refused to tell them by what authority He did His ministry.
ReplyDeleteReflective Question ~ Since my body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, am I to be a house of prayer also?