The evils within us

 

Jesus speaks quite clearly to us about the evils within us.  It reminds me of that old saying, “we are our own worst enemies” because we all have a problem with our dark sides.  It’s part of our heritage, way back in the Genesis story [Genesis 2:4-17].  By ourselves, we’re powerless to resist our evil thoughts and deeds that creep up on us when we least expect them.

Jesus knows well about these problems of the human condition.  He says they harm us more than anything that happens to us from outside [Mark 7:14-23].  Yet, I think his warning is not about the evil we have within, but how we think about it and deal with it.  That’s where the real danger lies.  If we assume that we’re basically pure and then spend so much time and energy trying to protect ourselves from what we perceive to be external threats, we don’t take time for self-examination and reflection on what really threatens us deep inside ourselves.  The main thing I’ve learned in these last few years of retirement spending lots of time taking seriously contemplating my spiritual life is that we don’t get very far if we won’t honestly reflect on our sins, repent for them, and resolve to better follow Jesus.   Jesus gives us a good list of sins to reflect on in Mark’s Gospel:  unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly.  Some of them are bad ones.

But even if we’re not that bad, and most of us aren’t, folly is particularly condemning for all of us.  It means a lack of good sense in terms of the right thing to do.  I find it helpful that the “Confetior” prayer recognizes folly in what I have left undone: “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do…”  Even though this confession doesn’t list all those sins that Jesus lists in his lessons for today, it implies them by recognizing what we have done.  But even if we’re incredibly vigilant and aren’t possibly even guilty of envy or arrogance, we’re still highly likely to be so occupied with seeking our own perfection that we have left too much undone.  We will not have loved our neighbors as ourselves and that is a big sin against God.  That condemns about all of us.

The good news is that we don’t have to deal with the follies of our lives by ourselves.  When we confess our sins, whatever the words we say, all Christians believe we are forgiven.  I pray today that we are all honestly serious when we repent and genuinely grateful for forgiveness so we can address our folly and leave less undone as we move closer to our calling to follow Jesus.

My merciful Lord, help me to see sin for what it is. Help me, especially, to see my own sin—that sin within my own heart that defiles me as Your dear child. As I see my sin, give me the grace I need to reject it and to turn to You with all my heart so that I can become a new creation in Your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You!