Guilty, but Not Guilty

1 John 3:20

          Most of us know someone who has a hyperactive sense of guilt. There are lots of jokes about being raised Catholic when this topic comes up. But some families are just better at imposing a sense of guilt on children than other families. Some spouses use guilt to force their will on the other. And guilt like this can be passed along for generations. It can even become embedded in certain cultural practices.

          But on the practical, personal sense, misplaced guilt can be a powerful negative drag on our spiritual life. If we feel guilty for things we either didn’t do, or for things for which we have asked for and received forgiveness, it is misplaced guilt. Some weights we just don’t need to carry.

          Often abusers are very good at getting the abused person to feel guilty for things they didn’t do. They use their anger most often to accuse and point the finger. The words “If you hadn’t” and “You made me” seem to crop up frequently. And because of the furor of the verbal assault, the abused often accepts the words because to reject them would mean further violence. Accepting the blame is easier than facing more abuse. And then over time the abused person often begins to believe the lie.

          But there is a way to put our hearts at rest. The battle that rages inwardly around guilt, both real and imposed, can be settled. And for the Jesus-follower it is a settled issue. We know that when we confess our sins we are forgiven. And if we are forgiven, we are no longer guilty. Our guilt has been taken, and mercy is what we receive. Mercy is getting what we don’t deserve. We can live without guilt for sins committed.

          Out text tells us that sometimes our hearts tell us something that isn’t true. Sometimes our hearts tell us that we, even though we are believers, are condemned. We live with a sense of condemnation. We walk around wondering if the next sin will be “the big one” that will push us beyond God’s grace.

          This misplaced guilt can keep us from drawing in near to the LORD and into fellowship with each other. Satan is like a spouse abuser. He makes people feel guilty for things they didn’t do. He brings up the past failures as a way to keep guilt alive. As if we don’t have enough trouble controlling our own history of failure, he pokes and prods at just the right moments.

          But before we start seeing Satan behind every guilty thought, we need to recognize the influence of our own upbringing and culture. Maybe it isn’t a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays. Maybe it is OK to laugh in church. Maybe we can enjoy life.

          The truth is that the LORD knows everything, and if He doesn’t condemn us, what right do we have to condemn ourselves?

Meanwhile

Mark 14:69-72

      Long before there was split screen simulcasts, people telling stories had to device ways of letting the consumers of their stories know that two or more sets of actions were taking place at the same time. I remember watching the Batman TV show when I was a kid, and it wasn’t in reruns! When the writes of this show wanted to let you know about simultaneous actions the simply narrated “Meanwhile” and a musical transition sounded, the screen spun, and then the other action was displayed. This shift, although not sophisticated by today’s standards worked.

      Jesus is in the high priest’s house being framed. They haven’t been able to gather any real evidence against Him, so they must manufacture some. But meanwhile, Peter is in the courtyard below providing enough evidence of his connection to Jesus, that a servant girl is able to convict him.

      Jesus is going to get death based on the lack of evidence. Peter’s life isn’t on the line, although he might feel that way in the moment. He probably doesn’t know what would happen to him if his connection were known. We do know he has denied his connection once already.

      And this pesky servant girl just won’t let it go. She won’t drop the matter. She pointed Peter out when he was warming himself. He moved.  And now she has followed him to the courtyard entry. She opens her mouth and declares his connection to Jesus again.

      Meanwhile Jesus is in the house having mud slung His direction. His life is on the line, and he doesn’t defend Himself. They point their fingers at Him and he absorbs their accusations. Peter doesn’t absorb anything. He bounces it right back at them. You got your facts wrong. I’m not sure who you’ve been talking to, but I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t know this Jesus. Who is He again? What is he supposed to have done? And you think I am connected to Him. You are nuts. Leave me alone.

      And then it happens. Peter loses his cool. The other people pick up on something. His speech, clothes, mannerisms. Something gives him away. We don’t know what it was, but something tipped his hand. He couldn’t hide anymore. And he loses it. He emphatically denies their connection. He won’t stand for it. So he tries to tell them in language they will understand. He uses his “double dog dare” oath. If we were portraying this in a movie, we might script him making the sign of the cross or swearing on his mother’s grave. He really, really, really, wants them to leave him alone.

      And then it happens. Almost as if from out of a trance, the rooster crows! Reality sets in immediately. Peter realizes that he has denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus had said. What can he do now? He falls apart.

      What happens to us when our proverbial pants are caught down? How do we deal with having our lies put out in the open, our shortcomings paraded across the news, our dirty secrets told in the tabloids. There’s no use denying it. The cat is already out of the bag. And if you have ever tried to put a cat back in a bag, you know just how difficult this is. It will be painful.

The Eight’s

Psalm 8, 38, 68, 98, 128

Psalm 8 calls us to reflect on the majesty of the LORD. Even children can see and marvel at His creation. I love to see the wonder in a child’s face as they learn about this great universe God created. They sparkle as the stars they are discovering do. And we are the crown of God’s creation, just below Him in His glory. We are placed above all the other creatures. But the LORD is majestic. We are creatures! He is the Creator. Don’t forget it!

Sin can have some very negative consequences. Sometimes those consequences are physical! Our guilt can eat us alive. We can’t hide from Him. He knows it all. There is no sense in trying to hide it from Him. Friends can also abandon us when we are sick (Ps 38:11), especially when the sickness is a result of our bad choices. He feels like he needs the LORD’s protection having become without a voice (vv1-14) and at the same time feels like the LORD has left him (v21). A very hard place to be.

In Psalm 68 we hear voiced what we so often feel, but are afraid to voice. Sometimes we want our enemies blown away like smoke. He is a father to the fatherless (v5) and the lonely get families (v6). Our daily burdens get carried (v19) and the LORD shows His power by defeating His enemies. All this happening as Jerusalem is exalted as a capital city, the place where the LORD shows up. No wonder he ends by saying “Hallelujah!”

Worship can be loud! Listen to the words of Psalm 98. We sing. We shout to the LORD. We burst into jubilant song. There are instruments and blasts of a ram’s horn. All of creation comes to join in this noisy celebration. So next time you tell your kids to be quiet when they are singing really loudly, let ‘em sing! They are practicing for real worship. Heaven is going to be a noisy place, as worship can be here on earth. Don’t be afraid of a little noise. It doesn’t frighten the LORD.

Blessings follow obedient submission to the LORD (Ps 128:1). And family is one of those blessings. Here the psalmist tells us that having children (being a fruitful vine) is a good thing. It is a blessing. I know our culture says “2.2” children, but the LORD they are a blessing. I want to see my children’s children (v6). I know that this is a blessing from the LORD. All 5.25 of them are a blessing to me. They open my eyes to God’s grace in so many ways.