Psalm 51:1-17
Preaching
A Journey Through the Psalms: Reflections for Worried Hearts and Troubled Times
Preaching the Psalms Cycles A, B, C
Object:
As this Lenten season begins, it might be a good thing to think deeply about confession. This psalm goes to the heart of the matter as the writer comes clean. "I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me." In a world of believable deniability where taking responsibility for our mistakes and missteps is not common, this writing goes straight to the heart. So many of us are like the adolescent boy who gets caught breaking a window. And this applies to people from the lowest to the highest stations in our culture. The first impulse is self-righteous denial. "I didn't do it!" After it becomes painfully obvious that, in fact, the boy did break the window, the fallback is "it's not my fault!" Finally, when all else fails, the boy accepts responsibility and takes on some chores to pay for the new window to replace the one he broke.
The psalmist speaks the truth. If we peel away our own layers of denial and self-delusion, we know what we have done wrong. We are aware of the damage we have done and the hurt we have caused. And with our "I'm okay, you're okay" pop culture notwithstanding, each person knows down deep that they are not -- in fact -- okay.
It is here that confession emerges, not as a finger wagging, shame-inducing process, but as the beginning of God's healing plan for each person. In confession, truth is told. Truth about actions taken and not taken; truth about words said and words left unsaid. In confession truth is told about what is found deep in the heart. And like the psalmist, as we also come clean before God, abundant healing and mercy is offered.
When truth is told, the dodging and defensiveness can disappear. When all is laid out on the table and truth is offered, not merely to God, but to the self, the wounds inflicted can begin to heal. When all the layers of denial and falsehood disappear it becomes clear that God isn't out to get us. God isn't looking for us to slit our throats in guilt at "his" feet. No. All God desires is the truth; the truth that is already known to God but hidden in our pride and arrogance from our own eyes.
All that God desires, it turns out, is a broken and contrite heart so that healing can begin. Would that everyone, from government leaders to parish councils, could take this step into truth-telling and confession. For if we are all honest, we know our sins all too well, and they are ever before us as we enter this season.
The psalmist speaks the truth. If we peel away our own layers of denial and self-delusion, we know what we have done wrong. We are aware of the damage we have done and the hurt we have caused. And with our "I'm okay, you're okay" pop culture notwithstanding, each person knows down deep that they are not -- in fact -- okay.
It is here that confession emerges, not as a finger wagging, shame-inducing process, but as the beginning of God's healing plan for each person. In confession, truth is told. Truth about actions taken and not taken; truth about words said and words left unsaid. In confession truth is told about what is found deep in the heart. And like the psalmist, as we also come clean before God, abundant healing and mercy is offered.
When truth is told, the dodging and defensiveness can disappear. When all is laid out on the table and truth is offered, not merely to God, but to the self, the wounds inflicted can begin to heal. When all the layers of denial and falsehood disappear it becomes clear that God isn't out to get us. God isn't looking for us to slit our throats in guilt at "his" feet. No. All God desires is the truth; the truth that is already known to God but hidden in our pride and arrogance from our own eyes.
All that God desires, it turns out, is a broken and contrite heart so that healing can begin. Would that everyone, from government leaders to parish councils, could take this step into truth-telling and confession. For if we are all honest, we know our sins all too well, and they are ever before us as we enter this season.
