Leviticus 4-5, Matthew 21:1-22
It is so easy to pass a sin off as a "mistake". It is so easy to say "I swear" to do something when all you have to say is "I'll do it." Christ could have easily gotten out of the suffering He was about to face, but He jumped in with no return, as we read today.
We read about compensating for sins that weren't known were committed. I think it is fair to say that as we grow, there are some things we don't realize are sins until after we commit them. Perhaps you've hurt someone you didn't realize you hurt. It is important to listen to God's Word and the Holy Spirit in the proddings of our hearts. When we call a sin a simple "mistake" we can have the tendency to "mistaken" again. But when we own it as a sin, we have to face it head on.
Making a foolish vow to someone, and not realizing it was dumb until later seems to happen from time to time (at least to me). It is usually at that point I'm left doing something that I never wanted to do, or I'm bailing and hurting others in the process. God tells us to own our vows and simply say yes or no, telling the truth each time. Saying "yes" to someone, when really we know we don't have time, is telling a lie to that person. Consider your words before saying them.
In Matthew, we read about Christ's entry into the city on Palm Sunday. My pastor actually taught on this a couple of Sundays ago, and it wasn't until I heard his message that I realized the significance in Christ's timing here. Once Jesus rode into the city, He had begun the process of shutting the backdoor to escaping from the cross. People shouted praise and slander at Him as He rode in. This was the busiest time in the city, as it was Passover, so people from all over had come and witnessed Jesus riding in. For His entire ministry, Jesus had said "My time has not yet come", and told people to keep quiet about His miracles. But now, He put Himself out there for all to see. There was no going back as He rode into His final week on earth.
I encourage you to take a listen to the sermon Pastor Todd taught on this passage. It is great and helped me realize how much deeper this section of the Gospel goes.
We can put a backdoor on everything in our lives. Our marriages, our jobs...Jesus could have put a backdoor on going to the cross for us. We can call a sin a mistake, rather than owning it. We can make a vow to someone, then just ditch it. But we are commanded to own what we say and do. Be a stronger person and own it!
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