Joyful Repentance
by Jim Foxvog

March 11, 2007

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

In our Gospel reading this morning, Jesus was speaking to the Jews when he said, "but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."  He is the gardener, begging for a little more time before the destruction of the fig tree, a clear symbol of Israel.  And Israel did not repent.  And Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, were destroyed.  Does this have relevance for us or was he only speaking to the Jews?

In the 1 Corinthians passage, Paul writes that the judgment of the Israelites is a lesson for us. He shows how the Jew's experience symbolizes the Christian baptism and communion.  But that did not save most of the Israelites.  Paul warns against sin, and says that in each situation, sin can be avoided.    No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

But we have sinned.  God knows  that we have sinned.  Can we accept his righteous judgment?  Are we willing to see ourselves as we really are?
 
I really like that song we sang, We Beseech Thee, from Godspell.  To me it communicates joyful repentance.  "Joyful repentance."  Does that seem like an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms?  Isn't repentance supposed to be sorrowful?  Well, yes, there is a time for sorrow for our sins.  But "repentance" is the translation of the Greek word μετανοια (metanoia). Μετανοια is to the mind as metamorphosis is to the body of a caterpillar. A transformation to something new, exciting, better.

God is our judge.  Jesus was clearly trying to put the fear of God in his listeners in our gospel passage.  But God is also our loving Father, eager to forgive us and welcome us back after we have turned away from him.  That is what sin ultimately is, turning away from God, leaving our loving Father.  We really cannot be sorrowful enough when we realize we have turned away from our relationship with God. The more we understand what a blessing a right relation with God is, the more we realize sin is turning our back on that blessed relationship, the sadder we will be when we discover that we have rejected our Lord.  But he wants us back.  He implores us to turn back to him.  And when we answer that call he welcomes us with open arms.  What joy is God's! What joy is ours!
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins.  When we repent we turn from our sins, and we turn to God.  That is joyful repentance!

Jesus said, "unless you repent," two times in our passage.  But they are different verb tenses.  One means immediate repentance; one means "keep on changing".  Jesus commands both.


See related adult teaching, Sin, Repentance, and Relationships