want to say to him, "Brother, forgive me, I've sinned against you." He, though,
SERMON 211 129 darkness has passed, the true light is already shining. Then he goes on to add, Anyone who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness still (1
Jn 2:8-9). But perhaps you think it's the sort of darkness that people endure when they are locked away in dungeons. If only it was that sort! And yet nobody wants to be in that sort of darkness. But in the darkness of dungeons even innocent people can be locked up. In that sort of darkness, after all, the martyrs were locked up. Darkness was swirling all round them, and light was blooming in their hearts; in those dark dungeons they couldn't see anything with their eyes, but with brotherly love they were able to see God.3
Do you want to know what this darkness is like, about which it says, Whoever hates his brother is in darkness still? In another place he says, Whoever hates his brother is a murderer (1 Jn 3:15). Whoever hates his brother walks about, goes out, comes in, travels, loaded with no chains, locked up in no dungeon, and yet he's bound hand and foot by guilt. Don't imagine he's without a dungeon; his dungeon is his own heart. When you hear, Whoever hates his brother is in darkness still, in case by any chance you should make light of mere darkness, he says in addition, Whoever hates his brother is a murderer. You hate your brother, and walk around without a care in the world, and are unwilling to make it up, even though that's why God is giving you a breathing space? Look, you're a murderer, and you're still alive; what if you had an angry God to deal with, and you were suddenly snatched away together with your hatred of your brother? God is sparing you; mind you spare yourself, and make things up with your brother. But perhaps you are willing to, and he isn't? That should be enough for you; you now have reason to feel sorry for him; you've paid your debt. Say, if you want to make it up with him and he won't, say without a qualm, Forgive us our debts just as we too forgive our debtors (Mt 6:12).
Pardon your brother or sister
3. Perhaps you sinned against him, you want to make it up with him, you want to say to him, "Brother, forgive me, I've sinned against you." He, though, doesn't want to forgive, doesn't want to cancel the debt; he doesn't want to let you off what you owe him. He's got to think about the time when he has to pray. When he comes, this fellow who didn't want to forgive you the wrong you perhaps did him, when he comes to the prayer,4 what is he going to do? He can say, Our Father who are in heaven-, he can say, further, Hallowed be your name. Yet again, say, Your kingdom come. Continue, Your will be done, as in heaven also on earth. Keep strolling along: Give us today our daily bread. You've had your say.
As for what comes next, just see if perhaps you would rather skip over it and say something else. There's no way you can get round it, you're caught there. So then say, or if there's no reason why you should say Forgive us our debts, don't say it. And then what about what the same apostle said, If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 Jn
1:8)? If, however, your consciousness of frailty is biting you, and the abundance