Forgiveness and deliverance

2 Cor. 11:1-11, Mt. 6:7-15. In today's first reading, Paul expresses his strong feelings dealing with his ministry to the Corinthians. He has invested a great deal of time and effort in ministering to them so that they could be in relationship with the Lord Jesus. He, as a loving father of a bride, has given His beloved offspring into the hands of Christ, the Bridegroom. A parent does all he can to provide a joyful and peaceful life for his/her child, even if that means handing over the child to another and thus lessening (at least in time) the close relationship that one has with the child. Paul laboured for his beloved Corinthians, supporting himself and his ministry to them by means of the generosity of other Pauline communities, particularly in Macedonia (Philippi, Berea, Thessalonika, etc.). Paul also defends the authenticity of his proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus. He has been true to the teachings of the Lord Jesus and has not made himself superior to the Lord Jesus, as some other so called “apostles” have. Paul has been motivated by the love he has for the Corinthians because He knows God loves them.

As His disciples, we are shown how to call upon Jesus’ Abba-Father as their own Abba, Jesus portrays the link that exists between them and His Abba in Heaven. First comes the three affirmations of who God is. Next, comes three requests that flow from that relationship with God as Abba: the daily providence of what is necessary, forgiveness and deliverance from evil. Expanding upon the role of forgiveness in the life of the disciples (us), Jesus states that there is a condition of our being forgiven by God for forgiveness is to be linked to our forgiveness of others. Being a disciple of the Lord Jesus can be quite overwhelming. It means that we are called, as Paul emphasises in his letter, to be servants-ministers. We are not to be burdensome to those whom we serve, but we should go out of our ways so that they can experience the holiness, the Reign, the will of God. We are to do what we can to show that God meets the daily needs (“needs'' not “wants”) of God's children. We are to extend the same forgiveness to those who wrong us as we know God extends to us. We are to help others avoid the evil that is in the world by bringing goodness to them.

May the Lord be with us as we start a new day, move our hearts to seek Him, our wills to serve Him with reverence and love for all the created things! Amen!! Good morning and have a wonderful day!!!