Eastertide
April 2, 2016
Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ –John 20:19-23
Who are we to forgive sins? Yet we pray forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us, or some words to that effect. I do believe that God is the ultimate forgiver of sin and scripture seems to indicate that once God forgives sin he lets it go entirely. I don’t think we humans are as good at that as God is.
What sins are committed against us that we would need to forgive? Some would seem obvious but for most are not common place in our lives, for example, being robbed or assaulted. We probably are more often victims of what are called white collar crimes, for example, fraud in business. I don’t think, however, that crime is really necessarily what Jesus is talking about.
Sin against God is not related to breaking laws. It is more about breaking relationship with God, more about missing the mark God has established for our way of being. Sin against God is failure to love God.
So does that mean the sin we must forgive and then forget are the failures of love that occur in our relationships, not only with family but with everyone. How much of the failure of our justice system is related to our failure to forgive people who may have broken our civil laws and offer them the opportunity to turn around and become a contributing member of society?
Prayer: Lord, enable our forgiveness to become a stepping stone of restoration for those who have lost their way and found themselves in the criminal justice system. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.