Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
(Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 6:7-15)
Today’s famous passage from Second Isaiah
assures that God’s word is efficacious.
It always achieves its purpose.
As God is altogether good, His word only brings about benefits.
In the gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to
pray for forgiveness of their sins.
Being God with power to effect what he wills, Jesus is assuring them
that their guilt will be abolished.
However, he makes one proviso. Sins
will be forgiven on request as long as the sinners involved willingly forgive their
offenders.
We long to be forgiven for mistakes we have
made and for full-blown sins that we have committed. There is no need to fret. All that is necessary is to ask for pardon
and to show willingness to forgive others.
We still may not receive the desired forgiveness from other humans. But God’s forgiveness, which counts the most,
is guaranteed.
