26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 29, 2024

Mark 9:38-48

Some people do not talk about sin. Some think that sins are no longer relevant in the modern world. The concept is a restriction on human freedom and creativity. Others see it as the Church’s invention to control its faithful, primarily through fear. Those who sin will be punished in hell! Others perceive that to talk about sin is incompatible with God, which is love. For some priests and preachers, the topic even becomes taboo to preach. Yet, this is all a misunderstanding. The proper understanding of sin will bring us a full appreciation of God’s love. Then how must we understand the concept of sin?

Firstly, the basic understanding of sin is a violation of God’s law, and God made His laws not to limit our freedom but rather the opposite. They are to protect us from harm, danger, and disasters. Every violation of God’s law brings catastrophic consequences. It destroys ourselves, others, and the world. Abortion kills innocent babies, destroys the holy vocation of motherhood, and treats sacred women’s bodies as mere tools. Masturbation seems less of a problem since it is something ‘personal’. But masturbation leads to mental health problems as we carve more and more dopamine (pleasure hormone) to satisfy us. Again, this causes us to see other people as mere tools to give us pleasure. By following God’s laws, we are not only avoiding harm in our lives but also walking on the path of happiness.

Secondly, sin is the contradiction of God’s love. God is love, and He loves us beyond our imagination. As divine Lover, He wills the best things happen to us, and He wills us to be united with Him as the only one who can satisfy our infinite desire. However, true love does not coerce and gives freedom to choose and love Him. Robots can obey all our orders, but there is no love since robots do not have freedom. A Labrador can abide by us and give us affectionate dog hugs, but this is not true love but a dog’s instinct to cling to his owner for survival. We have that true freedom. Unfortunately, we abuse our freedom to choose something much lesser than God and, thus, violate His laws. Therefore, sin is a radical choice to turn away from God. Hell is not God’s punishment but rather our decision to be separated from God, our true happiness.

Therefore, reading the Gospel, we immediately recognize that if there is one thing that Jesus hated the most, it is sin. He knows well what sin is and what it does to us humans. Adam and Eve sinned, and they brought the entire human race into a spiral of madness and despair. Jesus came to this world to get forgiveness of sin and to show God’s love on the cross so that we may be moved into repentance. Jesus loves sinners and not their sins in the sense that He wills them to embrace God’s forgiveness.

Therefore, preaching about sin and repentance and praying for sinners participates in Jesus’ mission and God’s love. But if we shy away from preaching repentance and even promote a fallacious concept of sin, we may deserve to be ‘thrown into the sea with miles stone’.

Surabaya

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Questions for reflection:

How do we understand the concept of sin? Do we speak about sins and repentance, or do we try to avoid it? Do we continue to evaluate and correct ourselves? Do we visit the sacrament of confession often? Do we invite others to reflect God’s love and repentance?