Bible
Study: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34. / Matthew 13:21-35.
The word “sin”
is surprisingly gradually becoming an outdated terminology today. People tend
to be put off by it and we only hear it in church. However, never before in the
history of mankind has the word “bad” become so generally accepted. In fact,
people actually take pride in addressing themselves as “bad”. Some even take to
music to celebrate their badness, they call themselves “original bad guy or
girl” as the case may be.
Why is the
world so much in love with being bad while at the same time rejecting the
concept of sin?
The answer
is simple. Sin is defined as an offence against God. And since the world does
not want to hear about God (Divine authority), it prefers to use the word ‘bad’
(indicative of freedom and choice). However the simple truth is that there is
no difference at all between the both words. Every bad act is a sin and every sin
is bad. We live in an age where sinful actions are advertised, openly displayed
and people made to take pride in them without seeing anything wrong in them. If
I call somebody a sinner, he or she could take it as an insult, but if I call
that person a ‘bad guy’, he or she would smile and be happy.
When Aaron
fashioned the golden calf, the people did not see anything wrong with it. They saw
God in the statue, they bowed and worshipped it, they even danced around it and
engaged in orgies as acts of worship. There was no shame in them just as the people
of our age are fast losing a sense of shame and sacredness for things that used
to spoken about in secret those days. Everywhere you turn, you see nudity, gay
pride, open display of immorality, strip clubs etc.
If Moses
were to come down to the world today, he would not only break the stone
tablets, he would use the pieces to stone people. But again, he would still go back to God to
seek mercy. This is what Jesus Christ did on the Cross 2000 years ago. And we
are still reaping the fruits of that mercy.
But then,
see how our first reading concludes. Go back and read it again. “When it is
time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.” Does it mean that God
is contradicting himself? Can he forgive and punish at the same time? This is
not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. It is one that requires you and I to constantly
be on alert every day.
Sin is sin
and it always attracts punishment yet we know God is merciful. How foolish we would
be if we deliberately sin just because we are aware of his mercy? How foolish
we are when we sin just so as to have something to say at the confessional? If you
always pardon your child each time he or she does something bad, how would you
react if that child deliberately continues doing it and even laughs at you when
you try to correct him? Would you just smile at him or her or you get a
responsible “koboko”?
You be the
judge.
Let us
pray:
Lord
Jesus, help me to live a good life, that I may be a little light shining to the
whole of the world around me like that little mustard see that becomes the
biggest shrub. Amen.
Good
morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God
bless you. Happy new week my dear friends.
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