There are some things that only God can do. We look at the rise of violence around the globe or the rising tide of population and hunger and know that some of these problems are so deep-seated that without God’s help they will not be resolved.
Then we look into our own hearts and know that sin—our failure to do what we want to do and our doing what we know we do not want to do–can only be remedied with God’s help. We are not the first to discover these truths.
When Jesus had dinner at Simon’s house (Luke 7:36-50), a woman identified as a known sinner came and washed the feet of Jesus with her hair. The rest of the dinner crowd was astonished and outraged. Why did this righteous man not recognize who this woman was? And if he did recognize who she was, why did he not rebuke her?
Jesus then pointed out that her love was greater and demonstrated love more beautifully than that of the host. Jesus then declared in the hearing of all that the woman was forgiven. She was cleansed and sent on her way with Jesus’ blessing.
The dinner guests were still astounded. They knew that only God could forgive sins, and they were not yet able to believe that this carpenter’s son was also the son of God. Jesus said that the woman was saved by her faith, but the rest of the guests missed out on the divine gift of forgiveness and the blessing of peace Jesus was offering.
The good news Christians tell one another and the world is that only God can wipe away the failures, errors, and missed opportunities that sometimes plague us. We cannot wipe away or forgive our sins or those of another. But God can, and therein lies our hope, joy, and peace a message we proclaim to all.
This is an excerpt from a book Readings for Reflection by Reuben P. Job.