Words from Aaron: The Call to Grace and Forgiveness
Dear Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church of Naples,
I am so excited to be with you in worship this Sunday! My family and I remain so grateful for the wonderful welcome we have received from the congregation and staff, and we very much look forward to joining you in worship this Sunday morning.
The Scriptural Call to Forgiveness
This Sunday, the lectionary presents us with the theme of forgiveness, which goes hand in hand with the incredible love of Jesus Christ. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Within this prayer, we are doing more than asking God to forgive us; we are also issuing a challenge to ourselves.
In Genesis 50:15–21, Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers, demonstrates profound restraint when he is reunited with them. Rather than responding in kind to the wrong they committed against him, Joseph extends forgiveness and grace. In Matthew 18:21–35, Jesus instructs Peter to forgive another member of the church who sins against him not merely seven times, but seventy-seven times. He then offers the illustration of a slave who is forgiven a tremendous debt, only to go out and demand repayment of a far smaller debt owed to him by another.
Extending God’s Grace to Others
In Jesus Christ, we see the incredible love of God. This is the love that went to the cross and defeated the powers of sin and death so that we might know the incredible grace of God. Accepting that grace means that we, in turn, are called to extend grace to others. The challenge within the Lord’s Prayer is found in the reciprocal nature of forgiveness; however, that forgiveness is not returned directly to God, but extended to others. In other words, having received God’s grace, we are called to offer that same grace to others and to live out Christ’s love in how we seek to forgive others.
As we know, forgiveness can be difficult. But, as in so many things, this is where we need to lean not on our own understanding, but on the strength and wisdom of God. Perhaps, like Joseph in Genesis, forgiveness entails knowing who God is and who we are in relation to God and to others. Or perhaps it is simply recognizing the tragic hypocrisy of the slave in Matthew’s Gospel. Either way, forgiveness, however imperfect, involves faith.
I hope you will join me in worship this Sunday at 10 a.m. as we explore what it means to live out the faith that is ours in Jesus Christ.
Remembering September 11 in Prayer
Additionally, I hope you will join me this week in praying for all those whose lives were forever impacted by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. For the last three years, while living in NYC, on September 11, I would look out a South facing window in my apartment to see powerful beams of light projecting into the night sky in remembrance of the lives lost and in recognition of the heroics displayed by police, firefighters, first responders, and countless others who put themselves in harms way to help others. Like many of you, I’m sure you can remember where you were on that tragic morning, and I’m already aware of at least one congregation member who thankfully made it out of one of the towers that morning. As many of us promised 25 years ago, we will never forget, and we continue to pray for the families and friends who lost someone they love that morning. We also pray with awe and thanksgiving for those who responded so courageously that morning and in the days afterwards, as well as for all who strive to keep us safe on a daily basis.
In Christ,
Aaron
Dr. Aaron Janklow
Senior Pastor and Head of Staff
