Forgive and Forget

Mar 3: Friday of the First Week of Lent

Today’s readings are kind of in reverse order of friendliness, which is, admittedly, unusual. But, like I said Tuesday, the perception of the “Old Testament God” is kinda unfair.

Reading I

Ez 18:21-28

Thus says the Lord GOD: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD.  Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?

And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

God is willing to forgive and forget. And when God forgets, that’s the whole ballgame. His will is what keeps us in existence, and so if he decides to forget a sin, it’s entirely gone.

It might not seem fair sometimes, but you don’t want fair, as the Psalmist will explain.

Responsorial Psalm

130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8

R.    If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
    LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to my voice in supplication.
R.    If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
    LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
    that you may be revered. 
R.    If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
I trust in the LORD;
    my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
    more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
    Let Israel wait for the LORD.
R.    If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
For with the LORD is kindness
    and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
    from all their iniquities.
R.    If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

If God kept track of our sins, every single sin, every evil thought, every time we passed up an opportunity to do good, where would we be? Well, where we are, because He’s omniscient. But we trust in His benevolence, forgiving us when we need forgiveness. Which is all the time.

Verse before the Gospel

Ez 18:31

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

God’s forgiveness doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry about what you’ve done wrong. Just the opposite—take the opportunity to do better.

Gospel

Mt 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

Jesus tells two parallel stories here—one about someone bringing a gift to the altar, and one about going to court. The latter is embedded in the former, and I think the translation muddies the point a little bit.

Going to the altar is like going to court, with God as the judge. But you don’t want to face a tough judge; you’re much better off settling out of court.

In the same way, you can go to confession, but is it true repentance if you haven’t tried to reconcile with the person you’ve sinned against? God only accept true repentance.

Confession, bringing our gifts to the altar—these things are good and necessary. But our first steps should be dealing with our fellow man.