August 25

Day 164: My Watch Has No Concept of Sin

I like my iPhone. I like my iWatch. They talk to each other. In fact, all of my digital devices talk to each other. And probably never have arguments between themselves.

And then they tell me things. (Probably not everything; they may be keeping secrets.) Some of what they do tell me is helpful. And some of which is not helpful or necessary at all.

My watch tells me how well I sleep. It tells me how many steps I've stepped, and how much water I've taken in. It tells me when my heart rate is too high. It even tells me (nags me) about the phone calls I've missed.

Just the other morning I was strapping my watch to my left wrist. And the wristband snapped. Broken beyond repair. This also told me something. (Aside from get on Amazon and order a replacement, of course.)

The metaphor being, it finally snapped after having been on the verge of breaking for a while. Unbeknownst to me.

This got me thinking. Who do I know who is on the edge of snapping? How vulnerable am I, are we, is our church? By extension, how vulnerable is our city, even our society as we have previously known it? How can I possibly keep with everybody?

Yesterday I received a message from my digital committee of watch/phone/iPad/laptop from someone who told me, in no uncertain terms, how I had failed. I had failed to be aware of how on edge this person has been. I had failed to keep up.

By God's grace, this morning I read this about a woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with ointment and kisses, rinsed His feet with her tears, and dried His feet with her hair (Luke 7:36-50.)

The dinner party host doesn't get it. He questions Jesus's refusal to acknowledge the woman's great debt load of sin.

So Jesus tells a story about two debtors; one owing some, the other owing a great deal more, both owing to the same man. Both debts, therefore both debtors are subsequently forgiven.

Jesus then asks His host the question, "Now which of them will love him more?"

The obvious answer is given - "the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt."

The woman in question was well aware of her sin. The dinner party host, in comparing himself to her, didn't acknowledge much of a sin debt in himself at all.

The irony is in the fact that the host also didn't realize that his debt of sin was toward his dinner guest, Jesus, Himself.

The host didn't love Jesus, while the woman loved Him much. Because she knew she had been forgiven much.

Matthew 5:4 says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Those who acknowledge and grieve their own sin are those who will be relieved of their grief, because they've been relieved of their sin debt.

With no need to compare myself with others this morning, I am very aware of my own sin. I am more cognizant of my grief over my sin.

The gospel tells me I have been forgiven much; more than I realize. I have been comforted, not because I cease to remember my sin, but because my sin debt has been cancelled.

My watch has no concept of sin. It has no capacity for love. But I find myself loving Jesus more today than I did yesterday. Because I have been forgiven much.

- Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau