Lectionary Reading: Hebrews 9: 1-14
Getting the Really Tough Stains Out
As father and sole clothes washer for a very active, five-year-old tomboy named Diana, I know what it takes to get the tough stains out. The knee length socks soiled with dirt from diving on the soccer field, the sleeves dotted with brightly colored markers from a creative moment, or the collar lightly streaked with brown from a much-anticipated and slowly-savored chocolate are no match for my arsenal of soaps, sprays, and automatic washer and dryer. I seldom misfire at these prominent targets. However, I have lost many battles to more clandestine enemies such as tissues stuffed in pants pockets and small forests of playground mulch lining the insides of socks. After a thorough washing and drying, I am doomed to pick the debris off of every piece of laundry. I learn my painful lesson and for a time I remember to check all of the pockets and to unroll all of the socks. But inevitably, I let down my defenses and it happens again.
Sin is a lot like this. When our family, coworkers, or neighbors see our failures and transgressions prominently and publicly displayed, we take corrective actions. We use our arsenal of social and spiritual resources to make things right, to restore our broken relationships and trusts, and to ultimately repent before a loving and merciful God. “Private” sins are a different matter entirely. Sins of commission that “don’t really hurt anyone else” and sins of omission that result from lives of busyness and apathy subtly and steadily accumulate. We seldom acknowledge them or repent of them. One day we awake to realize that over time every part of our life has been touched and we are completely tainted by sin. Although still children of our loving Father, we are effectively separated from a Holy God. We are unable to clearly hear His voice. We are impotent and unable to serve and to glorify Him. We then begin the arduous process of cleaning up the debris one piece at a time. We finally repent. And for a time, we walk uprightly and humbly. But inevitably, we let down our defenses and we sin again.
God knows we are like this, and He lovingly provides for us in our weakness. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle with a blood offering covering his sins and the sins of all the people. This ceremony accurately depicts our need for cleansing from our sins to enter into the presence of a Holy God. But as the writer of Hebrews explains in chapter 9, it did not effectively do that. God in His infinite mercy and wisdom does provide for our cleansing through the atoning blood of Jesus, which covers all of our past, present, and future sins. Jesus and God’s Holy Spirit support us as we continue taking small steps towards walking with God. We are not alone when we stumble and fall. We have a high priest and friend in Jesus who has known all of our temptations and human limitations. He even understands our dirty laundry and how to get all of the tough stains out!
Prayer: Holy, merciful, and loving Father, thank You for making a way for us to be with You through Jesus. Please reveal to us our sins and lead us to repentance and to a right relationship with You today and every day so that we may serve You and glorify You. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
John White
(Chuck and Pam Gruber’s son-in-law)
No comments:
Post a Comment