People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. – Proverbs 6:30-31

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 20, 2016): Proverbs 6

In “Jesus Christ Superstar” just after Peter’s three denials have become a reality, Tim Rice has Peter turning to his friends with these words “I had to do it, don’t you see. Or they’d have come for me.” There was no error in Peter’s logic. I have often argued that I would rather be a Peter than one of the other disciples at this moment in history. Peter denied while the other disciples didn’t, but then again the other disciples were all hiding in fear. They didn’t deny, partially because they refused to take a chance and be where Jesus was. Peter denied, but at least he was there with Jesus.

But Peter’s excuse, no matter how logical that excuse was, was not effective in absolving Peter from his guilt. As the story continues from that point, we begin to understand that reality. Peter now stands outside of the others. He is the one who denied Christ. Later generations would take Christians who denied Christ, and they would physically remove them from the fellowship of believers. No longer would these people be welcome to Sunday Worship time or the Table of the Eucharist. They were the outcasts. Such people would be shunned, at least for a time. There may have been a good reason for the denial, and yet it was still considered to be sin. Peter would not be reinstated until just before the ascension, as Jesus himself tells Peter to go and feed his sheep.

It is this reality to which the author of Proverbs wishes to speak. It is not that we don’t understand the reasons for sin. Sometimes, sin is very understandable. But it is still sin. Stealing is wrong, even if you are hungry. Of course, allowing people to go hungry without doing anything about it is also sin, but probably the subject of another blog. Just like denying Christ when we are scared is wrong, but we all understand why it happens. The author of Proverbs is about to make a comparison. If understandable sin is wrong, then what does that say about sin that we commit for no other reason than we have a whim to commit sin? What is it that that says about us?

God is building a house inside of you. His hope is that that house will stand through whatever comes. His forgiveness covers you no matter what happens. But the damage was done to the house for sins that are simply part of our whims are structural, and they may destroy the house. This is the reality as I watch the sin in the lives of those around me. It isn’t that they aren’t forgiven. It isn’t that they haven’t made their excuses. But excuses never make wrong right. And if we continue to live our lives wound up in our excuses, then the house will fall. There is no other outcome that could possibly happen.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 7