Thursday, April 13, 2000
Thursday, April 13, 2000
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
But he also preached forgiveness. In fact, he made boldly said to one man, "Your sins ARE
forgiven." That really steamed the temple crowd that he should claim authority to forgive
sins. But that was part of Jesus' overall message: Repent and receive forgiveness for your sins.
(Mark 2:5
NRSV)
At the beginning of the New Testament we encounter John the Baptist preaching a message of
repentance. It is a very stark message, an unrelenting message. We would like to paint a contrast
between John and Jesus. John was a rough-hewn backwoodsman, while Jesus was a more urbane
rabbi. John was hard; Jesus was soft. John preached repentance; Jesus preached grace. The
historical evidence does not support such a position, however. Jesus in his teaching was just as
demanding sometimes even more demanding than John. "Lest your righteousness EXCEED that
of the Pharisees," he said. At his baptism Jesus identified himself with John's message of
repentance. It was a consistent theme throughout his ministry.
Dear God, forgive me and my people. Amen.
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