Grace For Repentance
THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER
There is an ancient Christian maxim that has guided the Church since the earliest times, which goes as follows: "lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi." The law of prayer is the law of faith, the law of life. That is to say, "as we pray, so we believe, and so we live." Christian prayer expresses what is believed. In other words, we pray what we believe, and what we pray determines our lives.
Prayer reveals what we truly believe and how we view ourselves in relationship to God, to one another, and to the world into which we are sent to carry forward the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ. How the Church prays is a prophetic witness to the truth of what she professes. By holding to this maxim, right and true prayer becomes a dynamic means of drawing the entire human community into the fullness of life in Jesus Christ. Right prayer also pulls us deeper into the Divine life.
Every prayer offered to the God of Holy Scripture is theological by nature, as it prays what it believes to be true about him. Think of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught the apostles to pray, saying, "Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name." And that's just the first line of the Lord's prayer! One short sentence yet filled to the brim with theology.
First, the God of scripture is our Father; not a manager, not a life coach, neither our best friend nor a demanding tyrant- He is our Father. Second, He's different from us, for He abides in the heavens. And third, this heavenly Father is to be hallowed; he is to be greatly revered and honored, for his name is sacred, set apart, consecrated: a most worthy object of prayer and worship.
The Collects and the prayers appointed for every Sunday of the year contain a great deal of theological content as well. These ancient prayers, the collects, (some dating back to at least the 4th Century) collect the common prayer of the Church and also inform our theology: what we are to understand about God as well as how we are to understand ourselves and the life we have in the risen Savior.
Over these past two weeks, the Eastertide collects have reminded us that no one can stand justified before the Father heaven except by the death of Jesus Christ. Last Sunday's Collect redirects us to follow the godly example given in the person of Jesus, the perfect man, the pattern we are to emulate to progress in sanctification. And today, on this third Sunday of Easter, the Collect compels thanksgiving to God the heavenly grace that surfaces our errors, the grace by which we are made aware of sins and leads us to repentance.
Listen again to today's Collect: "Almighty God, who shewest to them that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness." By these words, we learn that God, through various means, will cast Divine light upon our errors, not allow them to remain in the dark. This is the grace of God given to return wayward sinners. The light of God's truth is grace given in love to lead us into repentance for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of the soul.
Today's Old Testament lesson taken from 2 Samuel chapter 12 begins in the middle of the 15th verse with these words: "And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick." The lesson starts with a statement of conclusion and a consequence, meaning that the events concerning King David occurring in the previous 14 verses have resulted in the sudden illness of his baby son, whose mother was the wife of Uriah. So, what led to the sudden illness of David's son?
After becoming King of Israel, things went very well for David, perhaps too well. The God of his forefathers had given him success in all his dealings. Yet, like Israel of old, David forgot that his success resulted from God's grace and not a tribute to his efforts alone. His arrogance and pride culminated in one night of self-indulgence. He did not want another wife; he did not even appear to want an affair, just a night of pleasure.
So, he took another man's wife, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. She conceived and eventually sent word to David that she was pregnant. When David's efforts to deceive Uriah (and the people) into thinking Uriah had fathered this child, he had Uriah killed in battle with the help of Joab. And after the woman had grieved and mourned for her husband, David brought her into his home and took her for his wife. Having done this, David hoped that the calamity and turmoil brought by his sinful choices were finally over.
However, this thing David had done displeased God, and God would give Him no rest or peace until he had come to see his sin for what it was and repent. So "the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And having come to his friend David, Nathan told him a story about a rich man who had many herds of sheep and a poor man who had nothing, except one little lamb, who was like a daughter to him. And when a traveler came to the rich man, the rich man took the poor man's lamb to feed his guest instead of depleting his flock.
Hearing this, greatly kindled David's anger towards the rich man; and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." And Nathan, looking David straight in the eye, said to him, "You are that man! Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife."
"You are that man!" A wise and faithful friend has just exposed David's grievous sin. Now, David finds himself at a crossroads. What will he do? Will he repent and amend his life? Or double-down in sin and entrench himself in death? He opened his mouth and said, "I have sinned against the Lord." The prophetic words spoken by his friend laid hold of his conscience, piercing his heart. Divine truth inexorably laid bare his sin, ending all self-deception and anxious efforts to cover up and palliate his transgression against God and man.
Was Nathan a gift or a curse to his friend David? Let me answer first: there was a time in my life when I would have said "a curse." Youthful arrogance caused me to curse the various Nathans (certain friends, a parent, a pastor) that God, time and time again, brought into my life. I see now that these were messengers of love and gifts of grace. Not those who "simply didn't understand," insensitive, mean, or "out to get me."
No, they were and remain vehicles of Divine grace sent to expose the error of our ways. Beloved, showing those we love the error of their ways isn't cruelty but kindness in the highest degree. The writer of the proverbs says, "the wounds of a friend are faithful" (Prov 27:6). God speaks through Nathan's to lead us to repentance; theirs is the voice of love speaking truth in love. Those whom God uses to speak such truth are often the catalyst by which we are opened to Divine mercy.
"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die" (v. 13). True, honest, and sincere repentance always meets the grace of God in forgiveness. Grace begets grace, for God desires not the death of a sinner but rather he turn from his wickedness and live.
Repentance willfully embraces godly correction because the penitent person wants to amend their life. Amendment of life comes by making changes to effect goodness and virtue. First, be humble, "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Prov 3:7-8). Be teachable, "Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life" (Prov 4:10-13). Humility and teachability are the soil from which the desire to please God grows.
It also takes faith in God and great courage to face our sin, not making excuses or dodging the truth He exposes but embracing the gracious discipline of the Lord as a sign of sonship. And although we might not immediately confess the errors brought into the light or delay confessing that "I am that man," know that repentance (though it may tarry for a time) is the mark of a Christian. Our defenses must come down; we must be instructed (you don't know everything!), and pride must be killed to receive forgiveness.
In the words of Thomas Cranmer, "love begun is righteousness begun." Divine love forgives the lowly, and the penitent, and forgiveness begets renewal. The clearing of conscience, the strengthening of faith, rekindling of our first love are the wonderful fruit of forgiveness effected solely by grace by which we change from doing evil to doing good. Divine love, which covers a multitude of sins, begins working well within the soul, engendering hatred of sin and love of righteousness. Thus, forgiveness brings renewal, resurrecting our sanctification, joy, and hope.
And though grace leads to repentance, the act of repentance itself does not make us righteous, for Christ alone is righteous; he is our justification. Rather, the grace which leads to repentance and renewal makes us 'right-willed,' directing the will, the mind, the soul, body, all that we are toward doing "the good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10).
Therefore, pray for God to bring your sin and errors into the light of his truth. And when he sends a Nathan, recognize them as a Divine gift, not a condemning enemy. Do not hide from Divine grace among the trees of the garden as our first parents did, but repent, confess your sins to God for the renewing of your soul. Pray for grace; the Lord will give it.
Ask his forgiveness for his embrace is merciful. Ask Him for grace to forsake those things contrary to what we profess to believe and follow all that is true, good, and beautiful: every good thing agreeable to our Lord. Beloved, pray, believing that all of this is true because God is faithful; He will do it. Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi! We pray what we believe, and so we live. Amen+
