Daily Reflections From Higher Things®

Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22-23, 28-15:15; Matthew 13:24-43 "At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD's release." (Deuteronomy 15:1-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Wouldn't that be great if after seven years mortgages were cancelled? Car payments were no more? Student loan payments were forgiven? The money you owed your friend was forgotten about? In Old Testament Israel, this was a command of Yahweh: that they forget their debts to one another after seven years. But God is not primarily concerned with financial debts. This forgiving of money debts was a picture of something bigger: the forgiveness of sins. Sin is like a debt. You've done something against someone. You owe them. Forgiveness means they don't hold it against you and you don't hold what they owe against them. Th