Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in His word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with Him is plentiful redemption.
8 And He will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Matthew 9:2
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 1:4
John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Mark 2:5
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 4:12
so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
Luke 1:76b-78
go before the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
Luke 5:20
And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Luke 6:37
Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven
Luke 7:47
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little
Luke 24:47
and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
John 20:23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld
When I was small, my grandmother Anita gave me a Bible. Not something I was unacquainted with, we had an Episcopalian Priest as step-grandfather, Tate, and I'd been to parochial school for several years. And we went to Church, where I drew with crayons on the Bulletin and listened. One day, Anita walked in and said I should have my own Bible and she gave me a Children's Bible Living Word.
Grandmother Anita asked me if I had a comment or question while I looked at it, probably for about 15 minutes. I looked up and I said, "Why do we always begin with sin and forgiveness? It seems like, if people knew how Loving God is, they would be more drawn to Him? And why is it told, in the Old Testament, 'this is what God says" instead of Jesus going around healing the people and forgiving them?"
Grandmother said, "That's a good point and I didn't figure that would be what you'd say."
In High School, when I decided I'd go with the well-behaved kids to Youth Group, by then I still wondered this. Being Episcopalian, I wondered why we started here, the forgiveness of sins. And in High School, I figured it had to be a throw back to the Puritans and being religiously puckered. A foreign aspect of Religion and not so much about Jesus Christ of God. We learned so much about Baptism, I started to think Episcopalians could be puckered up too. And, in fact, took an impromptu vote to stop studying Baptism.
Mark 1:4
John appeared,
baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins.
Why would such a man as John the Baptist do a pretty "Godspell" view of new beginnings, take everyone out to be in Nature and see the Beauty of Mt Hermann spilling into the Jordan River and start talking about sin. Seems so off. The Garden of Eden was about walking with God in the cool of the Evening. So, next our Youth Minister Priest wound up Baptism and said what about when everything is wrong and one thing happens that is right, but it's Fornication. Right turn, Clyde.
No. We decided that's like sinning and praying later that you are saved. Putting Salvation down to a wing and a prayer. I think the Priest thought we were like waves tossed back and forth. But he did go on to a great career in Atlanta. Then again, maybe, the Right Turns were to make sure we were listening.
John the Baptist, was like Noah. Two by two. Exactly as Jesus sent out His 72 or 70 wish washy Disciples. John the Baptist, far away, was Jesus' Co-Pilot. The day Jesus fed the multitudes by the Sea of Galilee, Matthew 16, was the time Peter was chosen to be the Rock where the Church would be built.
John the Baptist was doing Genesis. Because Jesus Was, and Is, Doing Genesis. During Genesis the waters were rising up, watering the earth. Livng Water. The Holy Spirit hovered over the waters. Isaiah was walking with God in His Home and discovered He needed Forgiveness. This Forgiveness is necessary to our Holy, Almighty God. Why the Prodigal had to be remorseful before being allowed back to the Father's Home. The seeds had to be planted first and then watered, like Genesis. Living Water.
How can our Wonderful Jesus ask us to be something we just ain't finding natural to us?
James 5:16.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
We know we are invited to Prayeth Much. Sounds a lot like Repenteth Much. We can't get along when one side doesn't favor the Goodness. One side says, but I'm ok. The other side says, no you ain't. And we all have a clue, none of us have what this takes. So, we pick at the threads for one side to win. Or walk off. Or we favor not to have the conversation at all. God by passes this and says, be real, be honest, be sincere, find Love. Say the truth about how it is and how you are. Tell me about this, I forgive you. Just like having to confess the bumper is dented - and you know the real reason.
Prayer is another way of saying, talking with One too High, too Loving for us. Forgiveness says we have entered the Holy of Holies and what we have to say is treasured. Even if we aren't treasure, but .... might be after Love is applied.
Luke 1:76b-78
go before the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
To walk in the Garden of God's Home
Mark 4:12
so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest
they should turn and be forgiven.’”
Matthew 4:15-19
beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Luke 6:37
Judge not, and you will not be judged;
condemn not, and you will not be condemned;
forgive, and you will be forgiven
Matthew 9:2
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed.
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
John 15
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
Abide in me, and I in you."
John 20:23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them;
if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld
Luke 5:20
And when He saw their faith, He said,
“Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Luke 7:47
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.
But he who is forgiven little, loves little
Luke 24:47
and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name
to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
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