Posted on 07/16/2018 8:14:05 AM PDT by Salvation
There is an old rabbinic story that speaks to the danger of being “unbroken.” It also illustrates the difference between penance and punishment. I am relating this story from memory and may have adapted it somewhat over the years, so if you know it in a different way, please be merciful! Here is (my version of) the story:
There once was a man who had violated the Sabbath against his will, because his carriage had broken down. Although he ran, striving to reach town before sundown, he was not able to do so. He arrived substantially after sundown, thus violating the ban on work by travelling farther than allowed on the Sabbath, which requires rest.
The young rabbi of the town, Rabbi Mikhal imposed a long and harsh penance on the man, so harsh that it affected his health. The man felt quite incapable of fulfilling it and despaired he would ever be free of his sin.
Hearing that the famed Rabbi Baal Shem Tov was visiting nearby the man sought his advice. The older rabbi replaced the severe penance given by the young Rabbi Mikhal, telling the man, “Carry a pound of candles to the house of prayer and have them lit for the Sabbath. Let that be your penance.” Surprised at the mildness of the penance, the man expressed disbelief. The old Shem Tov simply repeated, “Do as I say, that will be enough.” He then added, “Greet Rabbi Mikhal for me and extend my request that he join me at Chvostov where I will hold the coming Sabbath.”
Honored by the invitation Rabbi Mikhal made haste to Chvostov, but along the way a wheel broke on his carriage and he had to continue on foot. Though he hastened to arrive on time, even his youthful stamina could not overcome the distance, and he arrived well after dark on the Sabbath.
Entering the dwelling of Baal Shem Tov he stood numb and speechless, realizing the old Rabbi was well into the Sabbath prayers. Shem Tov looked up and spoke to him: “Good Sabbath, my sinless friend. You had never tasted the sorrow of the sinner, your heart had never throbbed with his despair—and so it was easy for your hand to deal out severe penance.”
The first lesson of the story is clear: Our mercy for others is often conditioned by our experience of our own need for mercy. Having experienced our own brokenness and inability to do what is right on every occasion, our longing for mercy is deepened and the greatness of the gift is more fully appreciated. This equips us to show mercy to others.
To be “broken” is a modern expression but it expresses an ancient truth. It speaks to the experience we have when we are finally confronted with our own sin or inadequacy, most often in a profound way. Perhaps we did something particularly humiliating or discouraging. It may even be publicly known. Perhaps we did something that had harmful effects on people we love or even on strangers. Perhaps we experienced a profound failure in an endeavor, a relationship, or a business matter. We may find ourselves in the awkward position of needing help from others or of needing forgiveness from them and God.
Things like this can feel crushing but can also be salutary. They are helpful if we see them through by seeking forgiveness, making amends where necessary, and finding help and healing. Above all, experiences like this can be salutary if they help us to realize that we are not invincible, flawless, or somehow less in need of grace and mercy.
People who are unbroken—like the young rabbi in the story—can easily be too severe, lack compassion, and be unforgiving. They are often poorly equipped to deal with people who struggle, especially those who struggle openly and in certain ways. Scripture says,
The sins of some men are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment; but the sins of others do not surface until later (1 Tim 5:24-25).
In other words, all of us need mercy, whether for obvious sins or more hidden ones, whether now or later. We do well to recognize this early in life, for Scripture warns,
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).
Yes, woe to the unbroken person who too easily imposes harsh punishments on others. It is a terrible strategy in life and leads to a day of judgment that will be hard to withstand.
Many years ago, when I was just about to be ordained a priest, my spiritual director said to me, “I pray that God will break your heart.” I remember being annoyed at what seemed a cruel prayer on the eve of my ordination.
Looking back, though, I understand what he meant. He detected a pride and a harshness in my spirit. At that point in my life I had spent five years studying the faith. I knew what was right, and by gosh it was time to unleash all this knowledge on a confused people who had been misled by weak clergy and faulty catechesis. Although I was intellectually aware that I was a sinner and imperfect, I was not experientially aware enough of this.
In my mid-thirties I experienced a failure in my first assignment as a pastor. I was embarrassed both publicly and personally. I felt broken. Looking back, I can truly say, “Glory Hallelujah!” We all need to be broken at some point. Everything needs a crack in it; that’s how the light gets in.
It is not wrong to know what is good and what is evil. It is not wrong to preach the truth with zeal and love. But an essential truth of the gospel is that God is rich in mercy, because we all fall short on our way to glory and perfection.
A second lesson from the story above is about the difference between penance and punishment. A penance is an act or devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin. It is rooted in the Latin word paenitentia, which refers to sorrow or repentance for sin. The Latin root word is paene, meaning “nearly” or “almost.” Thus, paenitentia (to be penitent) means to have knowledge and sorrow that one has come up short or missed the mark somehow. A penance is a way to acknowledge a shortcoming and express sorrow for it; it is not so much a way to make up for sin and surely is not a way to purchase mercy. In the story above, the man was penitent. He acknowledged that he had fallen short. He did not arrogantly declare that there was nothing wrong with what he did even if some aspects were beyond his control. His sorrow did not need to be elicited; it was already present. Correction was not needed; he already knew that violating the Sabbath was wrong.
Punishment, on the other hand, is designed to cause some degree of pain or suffering in order to teach that something is wrong and/or elicit contrition, even if imperfect. Ideally punishment is used to teach the person by allowing him to experience the consequences of wrongdoing in a smaller way, so that he does not experience more dire consequences later.
In the story, the young rabbi used punishment where only penance was likely needed.
This is an important distinction for the Sacrament of Confession (sometimes called the Sacrament of Penance). The usual context of the celebration of this sacrament is that the person already feels sorrow and knows that what he has done is wrong. In such cases, the priest does not issue a punishment. Rather, he assigns a penance, usually a rather small or token act or prayer that signifies repentance or sorrow. While there is often some adjustment for serious sins, a penance in no way purchases forgiveness or perfectly outweighs the sin committed. Instead, it is a sign of sorrow and of our desire to do better in the future. The purpose of a penance is not to punish the penitent, who almost never needs that. The very fact that he is in the confessional usually illustrates that he acknowledges his sin and has sorrow over it. Only rarely does a priest need to be stern, if he discovers an impenitent attitude or an incomplete sorrow that might even seek to justify sin. Thus, penances, not punishments are issued in confession.
It is interesting what an ancient story about two rabbis can teach!
King David wrote the following psalm on mercy at a low point in his life:
Monsignor Pope Ping!
This article has a lot to chew on and I think some good thoughts that can be discussed. I really liked the commentary on brokenness, not to mention experienced it myself.
The main disagreement that I have is not actually addressed. So here goes.
Penance is not actually found in Scripture; it comes from an unfortunate problem with the translation from Greek to Latin. In Latin, the word means to do an action, and so comes across as ‘do penance and believe the Gospel.’
In the Greek, the word used does not have works associated with it; the translation of ‘repent and believe the Gospel’ instead means a change of mind and a change of heart, and works then come after that.
Having said that, however, it’s still a good idea to A: Try to put things right if your sin has hurt another person, and B: Subject yourself to self-discipline in order to try to make sure that the sin doesn’t happen again. Even in the Lutheran circles which are so maligned as being a fount of easy-believism, the pastor who hears a confession and pronounces forgiveness for the repentant soul should still be working with that person in order to ensure that the sin being confessed of is dealt with in the future.
I just think that the Msgr. is facing the issue of putting the cart before the horse. In Scripture; the Lord forgives you of your sin the moment you repent, but a truly repentant heart will try to make it right or work on personal self-discipline as a result of that forgiveness. There’s no need for a works-based token of repentance beforehand.
And how many Roman Catholics commit "venial/mortal" sins, go to the priest, confess, say a few Hail Mary's and think they're good to go and turn around and do so again and again and again?
In the Greek, the word used does not have works associated with it; the translation of ‘repent and believe the Gospel’ instead means a change of mind and a change of heart, and works then come after that.
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Hence the need to study the original languages.
I don’t know.
I hope very few, but at the same time we’ve seen in the past how easily people are willing to grab a license to sin.
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For those interested. Repent is bolded with definition provided at the end.
μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.
Repent and believe in the Gospel.
3340 metanoéō (from 3326 /metá, "changed after being with" and 3539 /noiéō, "think") – properly, "think differently after," "after a change of mind"; to repent (literally, "think differently afterwards").
http://biblehub.com/greek/3340.htm
But with the Sacrament of Penance/Confession/Reconciliation, the Lord FPRGETS our sins. Big advantage.
Oops,
But with the Sacrament of Penance/Confession/Reconciliation, the Lord FORGETS our sins. Big advantage.
And you get in Scripture that you have to do penance... where?
Confession I get. And you know, we heathen Lutherans do that too. And absolution. As the Apostle John says: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
But penance? Where d’you find that?
Already taken care of at the Cross
9For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Colossians 2:9-14 NASB
Confessing our sins is very important to the Christian life. First because it makes us realize how much we need a savior. Second, simply because Scripture tells us to do so.
The problem comes when it gets turned into a work that has to be done in order to have salvation, when the Apostle says that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works.
I’ve heard Catholics who have told me in snooty voices, “Unlike you, I’VE gone to Confession and gotten my sins forgiven!” Like they’ve done something really great that us lesser mortals can only aspire to. That’s the exact opposite of what the Lord teaches!
Scripture does not teach penance.
It teaches repentance, which is not the same thing.
Is that a real question?
If so, the answer is: as far as I know, few --- if any.
If so, the answer is: as far as I know, few -— if any.
***
I’ve met a few. Read about more than that.
And of course, every Democrat in Congress who claims to be Catholic is a shining example.
I see Roman Catholics commit a number of sins on these threads every day.
No, when we CONFESS our sins He forgives them and no penance is required.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Luke 18:9-14
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
I think the Latin “agite paenitentiam” (do penance) is a fuller expression of "metanoia" (change of mind) because inward "metanoia" (remorse) --- if it is real, and not just a sentiment--- will indeed express itself actively in your life, not just in your feelings.
Just as there is a difference, according to James, between dead faith (w/out works) and a living, saving faith, there is a difference between an emotion of remorse, and a lived expression of true penitence.
Thinking about penance in Scripture, I find this:
Matthew 3:8Jesus said "By their fruits you shall know them." If you bring forth these acts of penance --- live a life showing the fruits of penitence --- it is a sign that your metanoia is sincere, and not just a passing sentiment.
Bring forth therefore fruits befitting for repentance.
This was the message of the Apostles on their Christ-sent mission:
Acts 26:20I think they took to heart, and acted upon, such godly instruction as this:
First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
"Jonah 3:8-10
But let man and beast
be covered with sackcloth,
and cry mightily to God
yes, let every one turn
from his evil way
and from the violence that is in his hands.Who can tell
if God will turn and relent,
and turn away from His fierce anger,
so that we may not perish?Then God saw their works,
that they turned from their evil way;
and God relented from the disaster
that He had said He would bring upon them,
and He did not do it.
And this certainly extends into the New Testament:
Luke 13:3
No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish.
What is the consequence of failing to do the works which show the genuineness of your "change of mind"?
Revelation 2:5Scripture itself tells us that God called for "fruits" and "deeds" and "worthy works" from us, which flow from the sincerity of a turned-around mind. There's much more, but I offer you a thought-provoking sample.
Therefore, keep in mind
how far you have fallen.
Repent and perform the deeds you did at first.
But if you do not repent,
I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
You and me both.
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