The Oxford Encyclopedia of Christianity, in describing the account in Genesis of the sin of Adam and Eve says this: “The nub of the issue is that human beings reject the truth about themselves, they overstep their status as creatures, and sin puts a separation between them and God. The ultimate effect of sin is alienation and isolation.”
That reminds me of a little moment in one of Jesus’ more famous parables that I’d like to offer to you to think about as we begin our Lenten journey today. The parable is that of the prodigal son. We know the tale. The son asks for his inheritance from his father. Biblical scholars point out the insult that is inherent in this act in the ancient world. To ask for one’s inheritance before time was not a tax dodge as it might be today, it was like saying to one’s parents, you are dead to me. Our relationship is at an end. And that is exactly how the prodigal son acts. He takes his money and runs, to a far off land leaving his father and his people behind.
Then after hardship befalls him, the Scripture gives us an enigmatic phrase, Luke chapter 15, verse 17 says that the prodigal son, ‘came to himself’ and thereafter begins to realize what he has left behind. He returns to his father and is restored to his place in the family, to his brother’s chagrin.
He came to himself… if sin is rejected the truth about ourselves and then it is in coming to himself that the prodigal son begins his long journey back to his father’s good graces.
In our gospel reading today, Jesus reminds us that true penitence is not an outside job, it’s an inside job. And when we look within us, we find, I believe, our great need for God, our need for God’s mercy and God’s love and God’s acceptance and God’s salvation and redemption.
We need to be in relationship with God, and with the prodigal Son as our model, we need to come to ourselves, to be fully who we are, in our goodness, and in our not-so-goodness in order to be restored to relationship with God. It is when we present to God all that we are that God can exult in our innate goodness, and heal those parts of ourselves that are not-so-good.
I have an idea about those not-so-good parts. I have a friend who has been in recovery from alcoholism for many years. And as folks who follow the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous do, she spent a period of time contacting those whom she had harmed in some way as a result of her alcoholism to make amends to them. She said that no matter what the wrong done, she found that she began her apology with the same words, “I’m sorry, but you see, I was afraid…” I was afraid you would hurt me, so I hurt you. I was afraid you would reject me, so I rejected you. I was afraid I would not be provided with enough, so I cheated on my taxes. I was afraid to tell the truth so I lied.
It’s hard to come to ourselves, to accept the truth of who we are. Maybe because we all have within us some uncomfortable fears that are just too frightening to feel. I don’t know. It might be true for you, or it might not. But I do know that the antidote for fear is faith.
I invite you to spend the next 40 days in accepting the truth about yourself. I invite you to come back to yourself this Lent. In so doing, you will come closer to the God that created you, and protects you, and will always love you, the God is waiting to shower bountiful mercy, forgiveness and redemption upon you. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment