Tag: sin

October 13, 2022 – Weeds

Genesis 13, Matthew 13, Acts 13

In my early 20’s I worked for the Biltmore Estate as a waiter in the Stable Café. I picked up a phrase for when I was struggling to keep up with the customers and tables I had. If I got behind and needed help, I was “in the weeds.” Maybe you have heard that phrase used outside of the food and beverage industry. In the Matthew reading for today, we find out that we believers are all in the weeds, figuratively speaking. Jesus tells a parable of someone who sowed good seed only to have his enemy come behind and sow weeds in this field. When everything starts to come up his servants ask if he used cheap seed. He says, “No, an enemy did it.” Do you want us to pull up the weeds? “No, leave them until harvest and then sort them out. Later on in the chapter he unpacks the parable for his disciples.

“He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” Matthew13:37-41NIV

There are lots of interesting takes from this passage of scripture. If Jesus isn’t concerned about removing the “weeds” now maybe we shouldn’t be either. In the beginning, it was hard to tell who was going to turn out to be harvest worthy and who would be thrown out as a weed. It was evident when the wheat started to become wheat. Before that they may have looked similar when they were coming up.

This passage also includes a strong warning for those who would cause sin and do evil. There is a day of reckoning coming. You may reap the benefit of your evil deeds in this life but you will pay for it in the next. Lastly, we believers can expect to one day live in a world with out sin and evil.

In the meantime, let’s not be to hasty to judge someone a useless weed. Maybe they will turn out to be wheat and just looked like a weed. Only God knows mans heart and in this parable he plans to sort that out at the end of the age.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us to develop to our full potential and be recognized as your children by our fruits. Help us also to seek to convert what looks weeds all around us as we await a day when we will be with you in a sin free world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

October 5, 2022 – Be Reconciled

Genesis 5, Matthew 5, Acts 5

The New Testament has lots of direction on how to be reconciled with someone. It also has many places that declare to you that if you don’t forgive them their sins, your Heavenly Father will not forgive you for yours’. Peter, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22 NIV

We get the idea from that exchange that we are supposed to wait until someone asks to be forgiven for us to be reconciled. However, the burden of reconciliation lies on the one who realizes there is something between them and someone else. In today’s reading of Matthew 5 we hear Jesus say, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 NIV

If and when you realize you have wronged someone, you are supposed to go and be reconciled. You may not feel like you have done anything wrong, but they have something against you. According to Jesus, you are to go to them and be reconciled.

When you’ve been offended or wronged, you don’t even have the luxury of waiting for an apology until someone realizes they made you mad. Jesus also tells us,  “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one.” Matthew 18:5 NRSV If they have done something that has offended you, you are to go and tell them and give them the chance to be reconciled.

The bottom line is that whenever you realize you have something between you and someone else, you are supposed to go seek reconciliation. That may be by explaining how they have wronged you, or by asking for forgiveness for a wrong you have done to them. Jesus places the responsibility of going to the person who we have issues with, the moment we realize it, on us all.

Be reconciled!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for forgiving my sins! Help me to be sensitive to anything between me and another person. Give me the courage to make the first steps of reconciliation by going to that person. Lord, let your Holy Spirit work through each of us that we may be reconciled. In your name I pray. Amen

Your Sin Will Find You Out

I was going somewhere the other day and I came across a familiar message on a sign that always stirs up something in me. I’m sure that you have been driving down the road and have seen the ominous phrase “be sure your sin will find you out” on a sign somewhere. When I see those signs they evoke different feelings in me.

Sometimes the sign offends me. That scripture is taken out of context. It’s not talking about my sin! It is meant for someone else… murderers or whoever comes to mind as particularly evil at the moment. At these encounters I’m inclined to believe the sign is a fast way to push good people away from the grace and forgiveness that God offers us through Jesus. I wish the people who made the sign would try to love people into heaven instead of scare them out of hell.

On other occasions, I will agree with the sign, for someone else… I will have passed one of those signs after just hearing about how some famous person has gotten caught up in something and now everyone knows about it. Passing the sign, I shake my head yes with the truth of its message as I remember this one or that one whose sin has now so obviously found him or her out.

However, there are times that spotting one of those signs coincides with some sin I have committed (What?! I know, I’m shocked that pastors sin too). I see one of those signs, the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin and I feel guilty. I realize in those moments that, yes, this message is for me. If I continue to sin, don’t confess it to God and turn from it then one day it will catch up with me. There will be consequences. The person that I want people to think I am will be publicly contrasted alongside who my sin shows I am.

In these moments, the stark warning of the sign helps me to realize something about who I am as a child of God. It doesn’t matter how many years I have gone to church or how many services I have attended… or how many theological degrees I have… or how many good deeds I do… I am still very much in need of Jesus, my Savior!

I was going somewhere the other day and I came across a  message on a sign that always stirs up something in me. I’m sure that you have been driving down the road and have seen the ominous phrase “be sure your sin will find you out” on a sign somewhere. When I see those signs they evoke different feelings in me.

Sometimes the sign offends me. That scripture is taken out of context. It’s not talking about my sin! It is meant for someone else… murders or whoever comes to mind as particularly evil at the moment. At these encounters I’m inclined to believe the sign is a fast way to push good people away from the grace and forgiveness that God offers us through Jesus and I wish the people who made the sign would try to love people into heaven instead of scare them out of hell.

On other occasions, I will agree with the sign, for someone else… I will have passed one of those signs after just hearing about how some famous person has gotten caught up in something and now everyone knows about it. Passing the sign, I shake my head yes with the truth of its message as I remember this one or that one whose sin has now so obviously found him or her out.

However, there are times that spotting one of those signs coincides with some sin I have committed (What?! I know, I’m shocked that pastors sin too). I see one of those signs, the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin and I feel guilty. I realize in those moments that, yes, this message is for me. If I continue to sin, don’t confess it to God and turn from it then one day it will catch up with me. There will be consequences. The person that I want people to think I am will be publicly contrasted alongside of who my sin shows I am.

In these moments, the stark warning of the sign helps me to realize something about who I am as a child of God. It doesn’t matter how many years I have gone to church or how many services I have attended… or how many theological degrees I have… or how many good deeds I do… I am still very much in need of Jesus, my Savior!

1 John 1:8-9 NIV
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.