Conquering Sin.
When Christians proclaim that Jesus has triumphed over sin, they could well be dismissed with cynicism. “Where?”, “How?” can readily be asked. After digesting the latest news feed, we have to say certainly not ‘out there’ in the world. So where is the change in which we believe? Primarily it is within our hearts. We know this not by sin being taken away but by the power we have been given to face sin.
First we must realise what sin does: it causes rupture, distress and disharmony in our relationships: between us, between God and us and even within our own selves. The first triumph of Jesus to is to make us dissatisfied with this disharmony. We don’t like it and we hope for something better. The very desire to improve our ways of loving is a triumph.
The second triumph is to offer us the grace to do things differently. The normal human reaction is to hit back when hurt. With the example and power of Jesus, we can instead offer love and forgiveness, even when seriously wronged.
The third triumph is to take sin seriously, whether it is within us or between us. Jesus’ life and death show that easy solutions often do not work. We need wisdom and patience for true change.
Jesus’ triumph begins hidden in our hearts, grows slowly out into our lives and blossoms, offering light and love to the people God has given us in relationship.
Loving Father, we suffer from the effects of sin in our relationships. Send us the Spirit of Jesus that with grace, love and wisdom we may face and heal our own frailty and that of others. We ask this in his name, confident that you will hear us.
Sr Kym Harris osb