We Have Rebelled (Daniel 9:9)

 


Wednesday, March 5, 2025


Psalm 38

Daniel 9:3-19

Matthew 6:7-15


Observance: Ash Wednesday


We Have Rebelled (Daniel 9:9)


Just last week we looked at the account in Luke’s gospel of the forgiven woman, and gained an important insight into the benefits of repentance and God’s forgiveness. We picked up a good rule of thumb – that those who are forgiven little, love little; and those forgiven much, love much. There is much in ourselves that needs forgiving, and so if we want to deepen our love for Jesus, we deepen the sense of how much he has forgiven us.


This is, I think, how we ought to approach Ash Wednesday this year. Ash Wednesday is very important, because it reminds us of the fundamental Christian aspect of repentance and forgiveness. And God has ordained things so that we have the forgiven woman fresh in our minds as we begin this year’s journey through Lent.


Today’s prayer from Daniel is an excellent example of how we ought to pray, not just today, but every time we want more of an understanding of the love of Jesus. He talks about what belongs to who, and brings that before God.


To us belongs open shame, because we have sinned against God. To the Lord our God belongs furious indignation – no wait, hang on, what does it actually say? “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness.”


If you say your Morning Prayers according to the traditional Prayer Book way, then you would be familiar with this verse. It is set as one of the opening verses of the service. It is a passage that should be tattooed onto the eyelids of our soul. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness. We have sinned against God, and God’s response (to the humble penitent) is mercy and forgiveness.


Let us also remember that God has “put away our sins as far as the east is from the west”. (Psalm 103:12) We move forward, through repentance, towards forgiveness, and into the joy of God at the prodigal child who has come back home. We cannot just jump straight to the end, because that would make God unjust – God does not look at sin through his fingers; he is far too holy and righteous to allow evil to go unpunished. But the Lord laid on Jesus the sins of us all, so that by his wounds we have been healed. God now commands all people everywhere to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus, so that we may receive forgiveness, and be raised, not just from the dead, but into the unspeakable joy of the Lord in heaven.


O our God, listen to the prayers of your servants and to our pleas for mercy. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O our God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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