Hebrews 12:1-14
Lay aside your guilt and the sin that clings to you.
Putting your guilt aside is not an easy thing. We find it hard to let go even after confession. If you are Catholic or Jewish, you carry enough baggage for a guilt trip around the globe. This passage though tells us specifically to lay aside our guilt.
Easter is a joyous time when it arrives, but we are not there yet. Lent is a time to prepare. Some of us who perhaps have difficulty divesting ourselves of guilt will attend a penance service or go to confession. Still, just taking time to reflect on your life can be a simple form of examining your conscience. For still others, perhaps an Ignatian retreat would be a great way to prepare. But prepare we must in one form or another if we are faithful people and dedicated to our Lord, believers in the resurrection and new life. We are Easter people but again, it is not Easter yet.
This is an excellent time to dedicate ourselves to the attempt at living fully human as Jesus did, embracing our humanity but not letting our missteps of the past or present trip us up as we go forward. Explore the life of Jesus in his journey as a human to the cross which saves us.
In an effort to simplify our life and become more in tune with Jesus' life. Tradition would have us give up something that will help us appreciate what Jesus gave up and the suffering he endured. Giving up something, our guilt for sure, but also something that impedes our journey with Jesus and our own journey to the wholeness that God wants for us. What material things stand in our way? What have we elevated to Godlike status that really is an insult to His power, to His majesty, His graciousness and to the love that he shows us and showers upon us? If we could only strip ourselves of guilt, material concerns, self doubt and hard hearts, we could experience the journey and love that prepares us during Lent for an Easter resurrection and new birth.
You are a child of God. You could do nothing that would have God turn his back on you. Discard your guilt, turn toward God and enter into the unique holiness that is this season of Lent.
Lay aside your guilt and the sin that clings to you.
Putting your guilt aside is not an easy thing. We find it hard to let go even after confession. If you are Catholic or Jewish, you carry enough baggage for a guilt trip around the globe. This passage though tells us specifically to lay aside our guilt.
Easter is a joyous time when it arrives, but we are not there yet. Lent is a time to prepare. Some of us who perhaps have difficulty divesting ourselves of guilt will attend a penance service or go to confession. Still, just taking time to reflect on your life can be a simple form of examining your conscience. For still others, perhaps an Ignatian retreat would be a great way to prepare. But prepare we must in one form or another if we are faithful people and dedicated to our Lord, believers in the resurrection and new life. We are Easter people but again, it is not Easter yet.
This is an excellent time to dedicate ourselves to the attempt at living fully human as Jesus did, embracing our humanity but not letting our missteps of the past or present trip us up as we go forward. Explore the life of Jesus in his journey as a human to the cross which saves us.
In an effort to simplify our life and become more in tune with Jesus' life. Tradition would have us give up something that will help us appreciate what Jesus gave up and the suffering he endured. Giving up something, our guilt for sure, but also something that impedes our journey with Jesus and our own journey to the wholeness that God wants for us. What material things stand in our way? What have we elevated to Godlike status that really is an insult to His power, to His majesty, His graciousness and to the love that he shows us and showers upon us? If we could only strip ourselves of guilt, material concerns, self doubt and hard hearts, we could experience the journey and love that prepares us during Lent for an Easter resurrection and new birth.
You are a child of God. You could do nothing that would have God turn his back on you. Discard your guilt, turn toward God and enter into the unique holiness that is this season of Lent.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—
‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by him;
for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child whom he accepts.’
Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by him;
for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child whom he accepts.’
Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
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