In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul speaks about a letter he had written to the Corinthians that caused sorrow. Whatever he had written, he does not regret it, for "now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance." (2 Corith. 7:9) Having someone, or something, point out our faults, is not a pleasant thing. It can cause sorrow in our lives, as we realize our faults have harmed others, and very well may have harmed our own lives. But, if that causes us to turn back to God, then that's a good thing. Godly sorrow returns us to the Lord, seeking God's grace and forgiveness. This is true repentance.
In Lutheran terms, this is the function of the "law." The "law," is whatever it is that points out our sin, especially as we read scripture. As we are convicted of our sin, this drives us back to Christ, to true repentance.
I think "worldly sorrow" is sadness for things of this life. It's perhaps regrets for things we have done, or perhaps things we have failed to accomplish. I'm sure there are times I could have been a better son, husband, and father. There are things I regret in ways I handled certain situations. I could have made better and different decisions. I have plenty of "worldly sorrow" in my life, some of which I still carry with me.
But, thanks be to God, I do not have to get stuck in wordly sorrow. I can take that worldly sorrow a step further and give it to God, allowing it to become Godly sorrow. When I do that, I move to the good news of the gospel, that Jesus forgives and provides me a new beginning.
Peter experienced Godly sorrow as he realized his failure in denying Jesus. He was able to repent and be forgiven. Judas, apparently, was unable to take that additional step. He knew what he did was wrong, and tried to right the wrong by returning the money to the Jewish authorities. But he was unable to make things right with Jesus. He got caught up and stuck in worldly sorrow, which led him to take his own life.
I don't think there's a formula to follow that leads to true repentance. It's something we do over and over again. I'm just grateful that in the midst of the sorrow I have for my many wrongs, I have a savior who welcomes me back with mercy and love. You, or someone you know, may be stuck in worldly sorrow. Please let them know that there is hope beyond such sorrow. Jesus is able to take even the most desperate of situations and provide a new beginning. This is the good news and the hope we share.
I have found that the sorrow of this world, death, pain, and suffering can separate me from God. The death of my mother, my best friend, brought me so much sorrow, for such a long time, that I could not celebrate her being home, seated at the feast with Christ. I could only see my sorrow and loss. My faith faultered, I was reluctant to trust God and life became even more unbearable without Him. I have repented, I have turned around and I know that I must spend time with Jesus, daily, hourly, because there are so many sorrows in this world that I can be consumed by them and leave God's presence. Repent, turn around, turn away from the sorrows of this world to the loving face of Jesus, the Healer of the world. The only One who can bring us Peace.
ReplyDeleteYour faithfulness in this study, Julie, is inspiring! The sorrow of the world burdens us with hopelessness and guilt. As you say, when we look at the loving face of Jesus, we are blessed with a new perspective and hope, knowing that WE don't have to fix anything or bear anything alone.
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