DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(2 Samuel17,7-10.13; Gal 2,16. 19-21; Luke 7,36-8.3; 11th Sunday of the Year; Year C 2016)
(2 Samuel17,7-10.13; Gal 2,16. 19-21; Luke 7,36-8.3; 11th Sunday of the Year; Year C 2016)
Today’s liturgy highlights not only the mercy of God in forgiving sins but also his willingness to make of the sinner a new creature. We have two cases of sinners, King David and an un-named woman in the Gospel who reached the bottom pot of human misery and moral degradation. What were the sins of David? When David took the wife of Uriah, he not only committed adultery with her but also cut off Uriah’s line of descent. Uriah’s murder merely brought this fact to completion. This means that with no descendants, Uriah’s name will not endure into the next generation, his bloodline would dry up and his property could be confiscated. With his adultery, David destroyed an entire family. He abused his royal privilege with regard to both Uriah and his wife. He took the woman as one would take a possession, and he had Uriah cut down. The fact that the blessings of God are enumerated in the beginning, suggest that the true sin against God is the king’s desire to determine the future of the monarchy rather than allow God to direct it through him. Since descent was an important factor in David’s sin, it will also play a major role in his punishment. As through intrigue and violence he cut off the bloodline of Uriah, so the history of his bloodline will be one of intrigue and violence.
In the gospel episode, Jesus referring to the woman who anointed his feet said that her sins, her many sins must have been forgiven her… What were exactly her sins? Jesus openly admitted that she was a sinner, though her sins were not explicitly identified. Her demeanour suggests it was somehow sexual, for a respectable woman would neither be unaccompanied, approach or touch a strange man, nor loosen her hair in public. Jesus did not rebuff her, so Simon concludes that he does not know she is a sinner and, consequently could not be a prophet.
One would wonder if these two sinners, David and the unnamed sinner-woman acknowledged their sins. Confronted with his sins face to face David said: I have sinned against the Lord. In the case of the woman, the parable Jesus gave shows that the one who had been forgiven much loved much in return. Love was the response to forgiveness. The woman, on the other hand, was forgiven because she loved much. Love seemed to have been the reason for forgiveness. Lest we think that forgiveness is earned, we must remember that the woman was present at Simon’s house before she came to see Jesus. Her demeanour suggests that she had already heard of his power to forgive. In her case, repentance precedes forgiveness. So, both David and the woman sinner,in one way or the other acknowledged their sins.
In the gospel episode, Jesus referring to the woman who anointed his feet said that her sins, her many sins must have been forgiven her… What were exactly her sins? Jesus openly admitted that she was a sinner, though her sins were not explicitly identified. Her demeanour suggests it was somehow sexual, for a respectable woman would neither be unaccompanied, approach or touch a strange man, nor loosen her hair in public. Jesus did not rebuff her, so Simon concludes that he does not know she is a sinner and, consequently could not be a prophet.
One would wonder if these two sinners, David and the unnamed sinner-woman acknowledged their sins. Confronted with his sins face to face David said: I have sinned against the Lord. In the case of the woman, the parable Jesus gave shows that the one who had been forgiven much loved much in return. Love was the response to forgiveness. The woman, on the other hand, was forgiven because she loved much. Love seemed to have been the reason for forgiveness. Lest we think that forgiveness is earned, we must remember that the woman was present at Simon’s house before she came to see Jesus. Her demeanour suggests that she had already heard of his power to forgive. In her case, repentance precedes forgiveness. So, both David and the woman sinner,in one way or the other acknowledged their sins.
The psalmist in today’s liturgy had this to say: But now I have acknowledged my sins: my guilt I did not hide. I said: “I will confess my offence to the Lord.” And you Lord have forgiven the guilt of my sin. Yes the Lord, merciful Father forgives the guilt of the psalmist, but the psalmist first had to acknowledge his sins and ask for forgiveness. For we must freely and consciously contribute to our salvation. Our merciful Father initiates our journey to salvation; salvation is never forced upon us. If we are to be saved, we must first acknowledge our need. If we are to be forgiven, we must first admit our sins. As strange as it may seem, such acknowledgement and admission are difficult to acquire. But if we cannot admit our sins, we will not be able to acknowledge the magnanimous goodness of God in forgiving us. We will not be able to be grateful for the mercy shown to us. Naming our sins before God is the first step towards reconciliation. In fact, we cannot only admit our sins and acknowledge God’s mercy because that mercy has taken a step towards reconciliation even before we have taken ours. God’s goodness towards us precedes any contrition on our part. No sin, once admitted, is beyond God’s forgiveness. David violated the wife of Uriah, cut off his bloodline, and had him killed. Although he was punished, once he admitted his guilt there was no thought of his not being forgiven. The woman who came to Jesus demonstrated her contrition publicly, and Jesus publicly announced her forgiveness. We see the same dynamic in the responsorial psalm today: the psalmist confesses his sins and he is forgiven. Although admission of sin may seem to the sinner an almost insurmountable obstacle, it is a very small thing compared to the overwhelming flood of mercy it will unleash. What is it that keeps us from opening the floodgates of mercy?
The corollary to admitting our sin is acknowledging the source of the grace of salvation. It is clear, in both narratives, that God is the one who assures the repentant sinner of forgiveness. Paul is insistent about this. We are not justified; we are not reconciled to God through our own works. We do not earn our salvation. It is granted to us through faith in Christ, which itself is a gift from God. A question that seems to summarize the apparent tension in the gospel narrative goes this way: Do we love because we are forgiven, or are we forgiven because we first love? Because of his struggle with those who claimed that observance of the law was essential for salvation, Paul was the one who most strenuously argued that forgiveness is never earned. We are not forgiven because we are loved. Repentance may precede forgiveness, but even repentance is a grace offered to God.
The corollary to admitting our sin is acknowledging the source of the grace of salvation. It is clear, in both narratives, that God is the one who assures the repentant sinner of forgiveness. Paul is insistent about this. We are not justified; we are not reconciled to God through our own works. We do not earn our salvation. It is granted to us through faith in Christ, which itself is a gift from God. A question that seems to summarize the apparent tension in the gospel narrative goes this way: Do we love because we are forgiven, or are we forgiven because we first love? Because of his struggle with those who claimed that observance of the law was essential for salvation, Paul was the one who most strenuously argued that forgiveness is never earned. We are not forgiven because we are loved. Repentance may precede forgiveness, but even repentance is a grace offered to God.
There is no way we can repay God for the magnanimous mercy shown to us. However, gratitude is often expressed through service to others. This is demonstrated in the gospel narrative. The repentant woman was possessed by a desire to serve, regardless of the fact that her actions were censured. Her service took the form of humble hospitality. The women who accompanied Jesus and his group also served. They provided for the group out of their means. How do we show our gratitude for having been forgiven? Do we realize that the reconciliation with God that we enjoy makes us ambassadors of reconciliation for others. Do we do what we can, give what we have, to further the ministry of reconciliation? Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye
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