PREACHER: REV. SETH KISSI
One of the marks of nature comes to us in the theme. To heir is human but to forgive is divine. We realise the divine nature of forgiveness when we can feel anger for acts against us. Forgiveness does not appeal to us especially when we want to pay back and do have fellow Christians urging us on. This is why it is said not to be human but divine.
Jesus demonstrated forgiveness at the table when a woman came straight to him holding his leg and weeping. After which she uses her hair to clean the feet of Christ and kissing his feet. The Pharisees asked how Jesus could feel for such a sinful person. It was an act that would destroy the image of a teacher. Or could it be that he had a past relationship with her under the ministry of John the Baptist but was still not evident.
Christ demonstrated an attitude that no one of that calibre or religious teacher did. Simon the prophet described him as a man of God. The teacher never tolerated woman in those times how much more a woman perceived sinful. In the face of this perception he forgave her in the face of all of us. This attitude towards the woman made her break down. She never saw such a person. He treated her as one that was worthy; this act obviously broke her defences.
It is very difficult to apply what Jesus did. He shows us the forgiveness that described the sinner as useless to someone who begins to enjoy the peace and well being that Jesus has. He turns us from enemies of God to people who have enjoyed the best of situations. The early church used this to advice people in the church like Simon. In these last days people equalled nothing before God.
It was used to defend the openness of the church to sinners. Jesus owns openness was the reason that could also be changed. This passage attests to the grace of God to the sinners. This is what Jesus did as he said go in peace. In the book of Samuel, God through the prophet Nathan forgave David for adultery. David went on to become one of the best kings and the rod for our measure. The messiah was called his son because of God’s forgiveness in spite of his previous sins.
The second reading we find the people describe the act as lawlessness and Christ an agent of sin. Paul then jumped to his defence and argues in Galatians 5 that all this does not lead to one becoming lawless/ Godless. What we are to make of this is that it is the nature iof God to forgive and there is no sin too big for him. Gods forgiveness makes the unrighteous become righteous and a notorious sinner, a saint in his eyes.
Our responses:
1. We need to come before God in repentance. No matter how big your label as a sinner he invites us to come. God is ready to forgive us, no sin is too great for him.
2. We must forgive. It is divine nature. Instead of vengeance at represent from hatred. The hand that forgives is what we need. When we forgive we break the cycle of anger, vengeance. When we forgive we are able to make society rest and heal our people from bitterness.
Very difficult people are not changed by punishment. Anything that would break their hearts and make them better people. God with us.
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