Color: Green

Old Testament: Micah 6:6–8

Psalm: Psalm 116:12 –19; antiphon: v. 13

Epistle: Philippians 1:3–11

Gospel: Matthew 18:21 –35

Introit: Psalm 130:1–2, 7–8; antiphon: vv. 3–4

Gradual: Psalm 133:1, 3b

Verse: Psalm 147:3

Walking Humbly with Our God and Forgiving One Another

 

With what shall we come before the Lord (Micah 6:6) who forgives all our sins, and how often shall our fellow Christians sin against us and we forgive them (Matt. 18:21 )? Our gracious God on high does not need our “burnt offerings” or “thousands of rams” (Micah 6:6-7), which we could legitimately offer in thanksgiving. He is the Savior who gave His only-begotten Son for our transgression. He offers the fruit of His body, once hanging dead on a cross but now living and giving life in His holy Meal, for the sin of our souls (Micah 6:7). Because He releases us from our enormous debt of sin against Him, we need not imprison our fellow sinners with our lack of love and refusal of forgiveness (Matt. 18:24 , 27, 30). As partakers of His grace, we yearn for one another “with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:8). As forgiven sinners, “filled with the fruit of Christ’s righteousness,” our “love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment” (Phil. 1:11 , 9), for He leads us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8).

Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship