Light and dark views of the sinful
This week's verses are on Matthew 26:31-35:
I've been reading an old book recently about how to love people who are afflicted by demonic spirits. (Sadly not on the Best Sellers list last time I checked.) One of the points it stresses is that we should separate our love and respect for others from the sin and evil behavior they have. It occurred to me that Jesus models that all over the Bible. And then I came on these verses that show two sides of that coin.
Jesus tells the disciples that they will fail him and turn against him. But then he follows it right afterwards with news on where he will be waiting for them! It's as if he is saying "You are failed, broken, traitorous creatures, but that changes nothing in our relationship. I still love you." He doesn't say "If you manage to endure and be perfect, I will meet you in Galilee, otherwise you can burn in hell like you deserve." No veiled threats, no words of condemnation, no passive-aggressive barbed hooks to the side. He simply says "I know you're going to mess up, but I'll be waiting for you in the end."
His love and grace allow sin to be spoken of in the light of day. You see this when people accept each other's faults. Weakness and past hurts are all defanged and declawed, rendered inert. When there are forbidden topics of conversation, things which can't be spoken out, elephants in the room, that's how you know there is darkness around you. There is no darkness in Jesus.
Compare that to how the disciples react. They get defensive. There is no grace in their eyes. They have to deny their sin, hide it, make excuses, change the subject, anything they can think of. I have a friend like that. If you have to confront him on anything, even if you're trying to help him troubleshoot a mechanical problem, anything that could implicate him in making a mistake, he starts denying before you even finish the sentence. "Hey did you remember to add the ..." "Yes of course I never forget. Wasn't me." It's kind of hilarious. But being caught at being wrong is such a horrible thing that we'll deny the obvious to avoid it. Why?
It's not just Peter saying "Nope" a little too quickly. It's everyone. All of the disciples said the same thing. In the old covenant, sin brings condemnation, punishment, and death. At best you could delay the inevitable with a sacrifice. Lawyers were basically invented to formalize this natural urge we have to hide our sin and deny it in order to avoid punishment. We make promises we can't keep. We let problems go on for far too long because we won't let ourselves acknowledge them, because acknowledging them means something other than grace. We'll lose love. We'll be forced to pay the ultimate price. But Jesus paid that price already. His love never fails.
Jesus demonstrates that you don't have to deny the sin in order to love the sinner. He doesn't make excuses for them. He doesn't tell them it's fine or no big deal to betray him. He just says he'll be there for them either way. That's grace. The disciples meanwhile are saying "If I fall away, there is no reconciliation. If I fall away you will hate me. If I fall away you will hurt me. What can I throw together to cover my nakedness so you won't see me as I am?" That's darkness. Satan's kingdom. We spend too much time there.
Doesn't the light of a good relationship with Jesus sound like a better place to be than self-deceiving darkness? Next time you find yourself not being entirely honest with yourself, or with those around you, remember how Jesus responded to our sin. He gives us the choice whether to live in the light or in the tormented darkness.
Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same thing.
I've been reading an old book recently about how to love people who are afflicted by demonic spirits. (Sadly not on the Best Sellers list last time I checked.) One of the points it stresses is that we should separate our love and respect for others from the sin and evil behavior they have. It occurred to me that Jesus models that all over the Bible. And then I came on these verses that show two sides of that coin.
Jesus tells the disciples that they will fail him and turn against him. But then he follows it right afterwards with news on where he will be waiting for them! It's as if he is saying "You are failed, broken, traitorous creatures, but that changes nothing in our relationship. I still love you." He doesn't say "If you manage to endure and be perfect, I will meet you in Galilee, otherwise you can burn in hell like you deserve." No veiled threats, no words of condemnation, no passive-aggressive barbed hooks to the side. He simply says "I know you're going to mess up, but I'll be waiting for you in the end."
His love and grace allow sin to be spoken of in the light of day. You see this when people accept each other's faults. Weakness and past hurts are all defanged and declawed, rendered inert. When there are forbidden topics of conversation, things which can't be spoken out, elephants in the room, that's how you know there is darkness around you. There is no darkness in Jesus.
Compare that to how the disciples react. They get defensive. There is no grace in their eyes. They have to deny their sin, hide it, make excuses, change the subject, anything they can think of. I have a friend like that. If you have to confront him on anything, even if you're trying to help him troubleshoot a mechanical problem, anything that could implicate him in making a mistake, he starts denying before you even finish the sentence. "Hey did you remember to add the ..." "Yes of course I never forget. Wasn't me." It's kind of hilarious. But being caught at being wrong is such a horrible thing that we'll deny the obvious to avoid it. Why?
It's not just Peter saying "Nope" a little too quickly. It's everyone. All of the disciples said the same thing. In the old covenant, sin brings condemnation, punishment, and death. At best you could delay the inevitable with a sacrifice. Lawyers were basically invented to formalize this natural urge we have to hide our sin and deny it in order to avoid punishment. We make promises we can't keep. We let problems go on for far too long because we won't let ourselves acknowledge them, because acknowledging them means something other than grace. We'll lose love. We'll be forced to pay the ultimate price. But Jesus paid that price already. His love never fails.
Jesus demonstrates that you don't have to deny the sin in order to love the sinner. He doesn't make excuses for them. He doesn't tell them it's fine or no big deal to betray him. He just says he'll be there for them either way. That's grace. The disciples meanwhile are saying "If I fall away, there is no reconciliation. If I fall away you will hate me. If I fall away you will hurt me. What can I throw together to cover my nakedness so you won't see me as I am?" That's darkness. Satan's kingdom. We spend too much time there.
Doesn't the light of a good relationship with Jesus sound like a better place to be than self-deceiving darkness? Next time you find yourself not being entirely honest with yourself, or with those around you, remember how Jesus responded to our sin. He gives us the choice whether to live in the light or in the tormented darkness.
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