RENEWsletter for June 13, 2010 - 11th Ordinary

Dear Renewed friends--
Sometimes it's hard to forgive. Especially someone you don't know... and sometimes especially someone you do know! I wonder if anybody ever has had a tough time forgiving me. Just what is forgiveness, anyway? Well, the readings for this Sunday look into some of the answers to that question.

This week we return to Ordinary Time. It's been awhile since we had any "ordinary" times, but it doesn't mean "unremarkable" time. "Ordinary" comes from "ordinal" which means "numbered". This Sunday is the Eleventh Sunday in Numbered Sundays Time, and the readings can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/061310.shtml, and in your Bible at:

2 Samuel 12.7-10, 13
Psalm 32.1-2, 5, 7, 11
Galatians 2.16, 19-21
Luke 7.36 -- 8.3

Nathan, of the First Reading, was King David's main man in the Prophecy Department of his government, but Nathan was not a yes-man. He had some hard words for his boss. "Why have you spurned the LORD and done evil in his sight?" (2 Sam 12.9). David had become enamored with Bathsheba, but she was married. He committed adultery with her and she became pregnant (see 2 Sam 11.4). In desperation, when all other plans to cover up this intrigue failed, David arranged to have Uriah killed in a battle with the Ammonites (v. 9 again). What could have made David do such a thing? I don't know. What made Goering do what he did in WW II? What made Lt. Calley do what he did at My Lai? What made Spec. Graner and his girlfriend PFC England do what they did at Abu Ghraib? What made me let my brother take the rap for an act of vandalism that I committed? Our human, sinful nature, that's what (see Isaiah 64.6). But our same human nature allows us to repent. Repentance on our part brings forgiveness from God (v. 13).

It could have been right after this that David wrote our Responsorial Psalm. "Happy is the sinner whose fault is removed, whose sin is forgiven!" (Ps. 32.1). Repentance is what triggers this forgiveness. See verse 5. David confessed his faults to the LORD, and the LORD took away his guilt. You know, that's a good definition of forgiveness: removal of guilt. Forgiven means no longer guilty.

Our brother Paul, in the Second Reading, was raised a Jew, so he knew about the requirements of the Law of God. But being a Pharisee by education, he also knew that a person cannot be justified by keeping the Law (Gal 2.16). God forgives transgressions of the Law, yet not without a price. That's why God sent his Son: to pay the price. According to the Law, says Paul, we must die... be crucified, as it were, with Christ (v. 19). But still we live because Christ lives in us. He lives in us because he loves us (v. 20). So there we have another bit of information about forgiveness: it comes through love on the part of the forgiver.

Now we come to the Gospel Reading where Luke relates an object lesson Jesus had for the Pharisees. Jesus had been invited to dinner at Simon the Pharisee's house and Jesus came (Luke 7.36). So did one of the street women. How did she get in? Had she been there before? Perhaps as entertainment at other parties? Anyway, Simon knew who she was and assumed Jesus didn't (v. 39) This woman had brought some perfumed ointment, and, moved to tears by her encounter with Jesus, anointed his feet (vs. 37-38). Jesus knew what Simon was thinking and told a little story. Two debtors, one owing 50 days' pay, the other 10 times as much, had their debts forgiven. Which, asked Jesus, do you think would be more grateful? (vs. 40-42). Simon got it right. "The one who got the larger debt forgiven, I guess" (v. 43). This woman had had a much larger debt of sin forgiven than Simon... it was obvious by the way she treated Jesus compared to what Simon provided (vs. 44-46).

So here we have another piece to the puzzle of forgiveness: It produces love and gratitude on the part of the sinner (v. 47).

God has shown us how to forgive by demonstrating for us. Repentance is the acknowledgment that we need forgiveness. God's love for us provides it. Freed of guilt and sin, we respond with love.

Let's see if we can be more like that tearful, forgiven woman than smug Simon in our encounters with people this week.

Randy Jones
"Those who cannot say those guys have it coming!"