Matthew 18:18-20

“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” vs. 19

Because some passages in the bible are obscure, they have been subject to a variety of interpretations. This verse, for example, has led to the belief that if two people agree completely on any prayer request, it’s going to happen! God will do it for them, no questions asked!

It sounds like a wonderful promise. The problem is that prayer doesn’t seem to work this way. And when it doesn’t we’re forced to come up with reasons why it hasn’t. Of course it’s always easy to blame the other person for the error. Perhaps they didn’t say the prayer in exactly the right way. Maybe they were insincere. Scapegoating is an easy out!

Of course, prayer always involves mystery, and thinking that we’ve figured out the key to getting desired responses is bound to be a disappointment. Jesus is talking about the power of forgiveness here and the fact that mercy has been delegated by God to the Church. That means that we can have certainty in the forgiveness that is channeled to us through the absolution offered by the gathered community. When confession has taken place and the officiant says, “In obedience to the command of Christ, I forgive you all your sins,” the burden of our transgressions is completely taken away. What has been loosed on earth, has been loosed in heaven!

Thought for the Day: Why is confession and absolution sometimes omitted in worship?