Today's Scripture Reading (November 1, 2021): Leviticus 4
The French Enlightenment philosopher Francios-Marie
Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire, argued that "every man is guilty of all the good he did not do."
It is an interesting concept, but maybe a useless one because few of us realize
the good we have not done. As a race, we have an incredible ability at
self-deception. We can convince ourselves that we are doing good, even when we
are missing the opportunity to make a positive change in our world. Too often,
we make excuses for ourselves, convinced that we have done all we could when
the truth is the unimportant things in our lives have so diluted our efforts
that we have nothing left with which we can accomplish what is good. And we
never allow ourselves to feel guilt for all of the good that we did not do.
As
I read this passage, my mind gets stuck on the phrase "when they realize
their guilt." Part of our spiritual disciplines must be to prepare ourselves
to commit to self-examination, learning to be willing to examine ourselves so
that we can understand when we are wrong and those moments when we miss an
opportunity to do good. And even then, we must realize that we still might miss
something for which we are responsible, some good that we could have done and
yet didn't, for which we are guilty.
The
concept of guilt never includes intention. If someone is wronged, even
unintentionally, then someone is guilty. And according to Jewish law, that
wrong requires some kind of sacrifice. But before that sacrifice can be made,
we have to realize our guilt, regardless of how unintentional our wrongs might
have been. We can't be satisfied with explaining the guilt away or offering
excuses for what we have done.
And
that is often difficult for us to do. It is easier to explain it away, offer excuses,
or argue that we have never done anything wrong. But those excuses in and of
themselves are proof of our sin and our guilt. Instead, we should make it our
practice to examine ourselves and recognize both the responsibility for what we
have done and the good that we have refused to do.
Even
then, we will likely miss something. Baptist pastor and evangelist F. B. Meyer
(1847-1929) taught that all of this means that:
It is very
needful, then, for us to be perpetually cleansed in the precious blood of
Christ. We must ask to be forgiven for the many sins which we know not, as well
as for those we know. The work of confession and forgiveness must therefore go
on to life's end, applied to each heart and conscience by the Holy Spirit."
Because our reality is, we are all guilty of something.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 5
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