It Just Pours Out of Him

Much of the preaching you hear in Christian circles focuses on sin — what it is and what one must do in order to obtain forgiveness and redemption.

But the Christian authority is Jesus of Nazareth Himself, and any “authority” with which these preachers speak has to come from Him. He once walked the earth and did and said many things which have been reported to us from those days by people who knew Him and lived with Him. I don’t see where He focused on sin at all, or made up any kind of loyalty oath or special set of prayers for us to have our sins washed away forever.

The woman taken in adultery was dragged before Him, most probably kicking and screaming. She did not want to be there, especially since the men who were accusing her wanted to have her Biblically stoned to death for her breach of the Commandments of Moses, seeking to reinforce their interpretation of the Scriptures. But Jesus just wrote something with His finger in the dirt and the accusatory crowd left in guilt one by one. And without the sinful woman asking or praying or showing one bit of remorse, she went home justified.

In another place, a man bedridden with paralysis was lowered through the roof by ropes so he could get close to Jesus and perhaps be healed. But, before this man uttered a sound, Jesus forgave his sins. And then showing the stunned crowd that he had the Divine authority to forgive sins, He did what He Himself described as the much more difficult thing of healing the man.

It looks like the message is “Get close to God by any necessary means.” It is in His very nature to forgive. It is we who have the problem in this area ….