Kingdom Building
September 13, 2019
Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. –1 Timothy 1:15-17
The Greek word translated above as sinners is hamartōlós (a substantival adjective, derived from 264 /hamartánō, “to forfeit by missing the mark”) – properly, loss from falling short of what God approves, i.e. what is “wide of the mark”*. According to the above scripture Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We all meet the definitions of sinners whether falling short of what God approves or to forfeit by missing the mark. The first definition demands that we take the time to know God well enough to learn what God approves. The second seems to indicate giving up when we do not attain a goal. When I read that definition, I thought of someone competing with another to see who could shoot the most free-throws and forfeiting the win when he or she missed the first shot. I can see where the One who commanded us to forgive not seven times, but seventy-seven times might not be too impressed with us giving up doing what is right easily. (Matthew 18:22)
My mother shared that when she was a little girl, her family used an outhouse for the restroom. Making the trek several yards behind her home was no problem in the daytime but it was scary at night. Her concept of sin assumed that the devil would get her if she ever broke one of God’s laws. Since she was never sure what they all were she lived in fear that the devil would grab her and pull her down into hell in the dark as she made her way to the outhouse. She ran as fast as she could in the dark to that outhouse and back. Later she learned that God is a God of love and wants all of us to thrive in the abundance of that love.
Neither of these definitions fit my Mother’s understanding of sin from her childhood. To her sin was breaking God’s laws which is not the same as falling short of what God approves. Certainly, God gave us laws to guide our way, but what God approves cannot be contained in ten or 613 rules. We must discern how, when, and whether to apply the laws within the boundaries of our relationship with God. Christ Jesus came into the world to demonstrate how that works and ultimately gave his life to show us the full measure of God’s love for us.
Prayer: God of Love, thank you for blessing us with the life and love of Christ Jesus and help us as we struggle to learn your ways and give us the tenacity necessary to live your ways. Amen.
*https://biblehub.com/greek/268.htm
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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.