FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011

Luke continues the instructor, the preacher who seeks not the burden of guilt for the hearts of his followers but an awareness of the need of the individual to deal with both God and the self.  In the gospel for today we encounter his wishes for  his hearers who might be too overwhelmed by sin and hypocrisy to come before God seeking forgiveness.  He believes there are times when sin can be so serious that a person is overwhelmed by guilt, by fear.  He pleads with people who carry the burdens of guilt not to allow the fear of God to separate them from God's forgiveness.  David, in Psalm 32, reminds us that eternity separated from God is much more painful than confessing one's sin.  He writes:  "I turn to you in ... the times of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation."

In verse 5 of the 32nd Psalm,  David wrote "My offense I made known to You and my crime I did not cover."  I said "I shall confess my sins to the Lord," and You forgave my offending crime."  Likewise, David continue like a true mentor:  "Let me teach you, instruct you the way you should go.  Let me counsel you with my own sight."  Verse 8.