Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, December 23, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Jesus transforms life as we understand it. Before Jesus, God’s people had to sacrifice animals in order to be forgiven for their sins. And it sounds from this passage like there were some sins there was no coming back from. The laws of Moses were (and are) so important in helping God’s people to live with one another in harmony. But as anyone who understands the U.S. criminal justice system can tell you, punishment is not a deterrent of crime. Arresting, punishing, and jailing people does not lead to changed lives, safer cities, or anything positive whatsoever (unless you’re among those earning ridiculous profits from the horrific private prison system).
Laws are right and necessary, but they only go so far. What creates peaceful and mutually supporting communities are relationships. Jesus—God—is a God of relationships. The Laws of Moses could not accomplish for people what Jesus did. Jesus wiped away sin, abolished the very idea that God is a punishing God, and set us free from eons of guilt and shame.
We still need to obey the law—the just ones, anyway—and when we harm someone, we need to make restitution. We still need to work, with God’s help, to release guilt and shame that are somehow baked into our DNA and get activated by our often painful lives. We still need Jesus to walk with us every step of the way, reminding us that we are not our sins and that through loving community—with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, our neighbors, and all of creation—we can live in newness of life.
Where does guilt and shame linger in my life?
