I’m sure that those of you who are parents have had times when your kids did something wrong, and you knew all along that they made a mistake, but you were just waiting on them to own up to it and tell the truth. You tell them that it will be easier in the long run if they simply admit that they did wrong, rather than trying to lie and cover it up. And I’m sure for all of us growing up, there were times when we tried to cover something up, thinking that Mom and Dad will never know, they will never find out. Oh, how naïve and shortsighted we were! If we only knew at the time how much our parents did know, then we may have just told the truth and it would have been over with, and our punishment would have been much lighter. And the thing is, we just felt that we could outsmart them, and that we knew better. Does this sound familiar?
The thing is, what we didn’t understand growing up was that our parents had been there and have lived through the same mistakes. It’s the same with our own kids. We have been in their shoes and made the same mistakes, tried the same ways to hide and cover things up, and have made the same mistakes they have. We know what they are thinking, just as how our parents could read us. And because of this, we are able to sympathize with our kids. We know the troubles and struggles they have, and we have sympathy for them and don’t want them to make the same mistakes. But when they do, we want them to take responsibility for them and apologize, and be people of integrity. The same holds true between God and us.
It is the same exact thing. The first reading from Hebrews today says:
The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.
God knows when we make a mistake. He knows what is in our hearts. He knows when we say one thing, but mean another and He knows when we are not sincere in our actions or in our apologies. He can see straight into our mind and soul, and there is nothing we can do to hide it. No matter how many times we deny it, or fail to take responsibility, or ask for forgiveness, he knows. So why do we try to hide it? Why, like the stubborn child, do we continue to try to control everything and hide the bad things we’ve done, knowing full well that God can see right through us? And why do we often try to keep hiding it rather than simply asking God for forgiveness and saying “I’m sorry”, and moving on? It’s an age-old question that we may never know the answer to. God must continue to shake His head and ask the same questions.
But like the parent, God too, knows what its like to be a kid like us. He came down from Heaven to be one of us, to experience the joys, frustrations, happiness and pain of being human. Jesus grew up as any normal kid, and while He did not sin, he experienced the temptations to sin and make bad decisions that every kid goes through. He experienced the wants and desires any person does, especially having grown up on the poorer side of society.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.
Jesus knows what its like to be one of us, so when we try to sneak something by Him, or cut corners, He’s just sitting there behind the scenes, shaking His head saying,
“Are you sure that you didn’t let your anger get ahold of you today? Because I really thought I saw you get upset and angry at that waiter.”
“Are you sure you didn’t gossip about that person? Because I saw what you wrote on Facebook.”
“Are you sure that didn’t look at some inappropriate shows on TV or websites online? Because someone was looking at something on your computer that they probably shouldn’t have.”
“Are you sure that you made it to Mass last Sunday? Because, I didn’t see you there.”
“Maybe you should take some more time to think about it…”
We hear Him saying this to us. We know that He knows, but yet we try to hide it anyway. But the thing is, Jesus came to be one of us, to feel the same urges and temptations as we do so that He could understand how we feel, and so that we could feel comfortable approaching Him, and asking Him for forgiveness. He has been there, He knows how we feel. He understands.
As Mark writes in the Gospel today, Jesus came and spent time with the sinners. The Pharisees saw this and questioned, and Jesus said seriously, but with a twist of sarcasm, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
But, none of us are righteous. We are all the sick in need of a physician, and Jesus came for us all. The Pharisees needed Him more than anyone, but they failed to see it. And many times today, we are the Pharisees.
Do you sometimes feel that you are too righteous, that you don’t need to go to confession? Do you feel that the sins you have committed are minor and you don’t need to seek forgiveness? Do you assume that God will forgive you if something should happen before you can get to confession? I think these are all questions we need to continuously ask ourselves. And we must know that we should not be ashamed to seek forgiveness, and to go to confession, for it says in the letter to the Hebrews today:
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
We can confidently approach the throne of grace. When seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we must know that it is not a judgmental and imperfect person we are talking to who is going to remember our sins and think bad about us every time we see each other.
But rather the priest is in persona Christi – in the person of Christ. We are confessing our sins directly to Christ, and the priest is simply the interface. The conduit. There is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be afraid of. A priest once told me they do not remember what they hear. He said it is tough for him to explain, but it is like a garbage disposal where it’s “garbage in, and garbage out…”
So we should be confident in approaching the throne of grace.
Its like the kid who made the mistake – it’s a lot easier to be confident, admit it and deal with the consequences rather than living with the guilt and pain. Chances are, the quicker you admit it and seek forgiveness, the lesser the consequences you will face.
