The Word of God is very specific in what God truly despises, and it is not the sinner that Jesus abandons but those who speak of God's love yet live lives of hidden duplicity.
Throughout Scripture we find that Jesus does not reprimand the sinner, but instead displays compassion and mercy to those who have chosen the wrong path. And it is this display of God's Love and infinite mercy where many who had fallen into sin are reborn into new lives in Christ our Lord.
With the woman who was caught in adultery did Jesus condemn her though she did do wrong? Or did He with infinite compassion forgive her and instruct her to sin no more? With the woman at the well who had lived with several men, did Jesus harangue her with a list of her sins, or did he gently remind and correct her in how to live a life which was pleasing to God? And upon instructing her to sin no more, also promised her that only in Him would she find the living water that leads to eternal life.
We can see in these two examples that Jesus does not destroy the repentant sinner who listens and obeys Him. For Jesus knows that men are weak and human nature is always susceptible to our spiritual foe, which is Satan.
What Jesus does despise are those who profess themselves greater than any other, yet they hide their evil deeds in the dark, as they take on airs of a feigned 'holiness', which is used to hide their deceit.
These who feign 'holiness', are the one's who are very quick to point out the faults and failings of others with great relish and glee, yet with loud voices proclaim themselves the Greatest Christians. And with much finger pointing they continually bring forth the transgressions of those they have accused. Yet who is the great accuser? Why Satan of course!
Yet these very people, who are so willing to find fault in others, fail to recognise their own. These same people also live outside lives of false piety as they attend Church each Sunday and yet on the remaining days of the week they plot and plan the demise of those they have judged unworthy of Gods forgiveness. This leads to the question, when did God abdicate His Sovereign Power in favour of the 'accusers'?
For as Christ warned those who think themselves greater and able to accuse another, yet their own lives are masked in concupiscence and inner corruptness. Jesus warns such as these, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead man's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
Those, who though they attend Mass in a spirit of ritualism, and from duty rather than love, fail in one respect when they judge another as unworthy and continue to be the great accusers. If the person they have accused of wrong doing has confessed their sin in the Sacrament of Penance, then who are the great accusers? For if God has not only forgiven the sin done, but, also forgotten it, then why do the great accusers continue to finger point? Have they not made themselves greater than God?
For if God our Heavenly Father has forgiven the sin what right has anyone else to remember it as if they were sinless themselves? For our Lord also reminds those with the words of Isaiah, "These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men."
This should remind all, that unless we love our Lord with a true spirit of obedience to His Word, and the Traditions of our Church, many may fall into the devils wiles, who waits for the proud heart of those who profess with their tongues, whilst their hearts embrace darkness.
For those who wear the two hats of light and darkness deceive themselves, but, they do not deceive the Almighty, for God knows the secrets of the inner depths of each man's heart, nothing remains hidden from God.
As Jesus instructs us to the Kingdom of Heaven, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted".
And a warning to those who continually accuse the repentant man who has gained Absolution through the Sacraments, there are these timely Words from our Saviour, "Woe to you, teachers of the law...you hypocrites! You continue to shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."
We must be wary of those who practice this finger pointing and daily reminders of another's fault, for if God has forgiven the sin, then what gives them the right to remember and retain it?
For it is Satan himself who is the great accuser and who uses 'his children' as the finger pointers, who sit in judgement of all they deem unworthy, but find no errors in themselves!
Peace of Christ to ALL
Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment