Power or Assignment?

 S - “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”” John 20:19-23 NIV

O - In this resurrection encounter the followers of Jesus are not only overjoyed but given a baseline for how life for them would work from here on out. Their daily living was to be the same as his had been; miraculous, other world, intentional reliance on God and his very near kingdom in every situation and for every earthly need.  Such a sending would require unique help and so the Helper (i.e. the Holy Spirit) is given to them.  The last part would make the baseline complete … the issue of how to deal with sin. Was Jesus giving a power to "anathematize"; to hold someone's sins against them unto damnation? Is that how he was sent and how he lived among flawed and failing earthlings? The answer is a resounding no!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 NIV

A - Religion took this exchange and built a falsehood involving ecclesiastical structure which never entered the mind of Jesus and has never been a part of the kingdom of God. Jesus clarifies this on many occasions for his followers. The following, which comes right after his teaching on prayer, leaves me crystal clear on this point.  “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15 NIV Jesus is not giving us a power to condemn but an assignment to forgive.

P - Dear Lord Jesus,

You are the only righteousness heaven accepts, offers and provides. You are relentless in your love and unflickering in forgiveness. This is my consistent experience with you and I admit is to be my consistent expression to all others. I accept the assignment and will intentionally rely on the Helper for this and for EVERYTHING else. Thank you for sending us the way you were sent.

You are amazing,

Steve