So yesterday I said that we need to confess our sins to one another. But on the flip side, that means that others might need to confess to us… that puts us in a bit of a pickle. I have a pretty good idea of how to respond to my own sin. I should be disgusted. It should break my heart, it should make me want to stop. But, how are we supposed to respond to another person’s sin? Should it disgust us? Maybe, but disgust doesn’t make people willing to confess again. Should it break our heart? Probably. But how do we speak the truth in love?
James 5:16 says to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other, so that gives us a clue: pray for each other. More than just “Hey God, I pray for so and so,” prayer is communion with God. It’s carrying that person to the feet of Jesus, begging on their behalf for His grace and mercy, for their strength.
Also, there’s a pretty good example in the new testament… from the only one who is worthy to be our example. The Pharisees bring this girl to Jesus and throw her at his feet and say “We caught her in the act of having an affair. Moses says to stone her, what do you say?” Jesus starts writing in the sand, and they kept asking him. Finally he says, “alright, whoever is perfect can throw the first stone.” He goes back to writing and after a little while he looks up to see that they have all, one by one, dropped their stone and walked away. The girl is still probably half naked cowering on the ground and he says, “So where’d they all go? Did no one accuse you?” “I… I… uh… guess not,” she says hesitantly. Then he says, “Neither do I. Go and leave your life of sin.”
Simple, yet profound. Jesus response isn’t one of hatred, disgust, anger, or judgment, even though he is the only one worthy to judge. Instead it’s one of forgiveness and new life. Notice he doesn’t tell her to keep doing what she’s doing. He loves us where we are, but loves us too much to let us stay there. This story doesn’t tell us that our response to others sin ought to be pure tolerance or blind acceptance, but a pilgrimage together toward new life. Will you walk with me toward new life?