April 16: Of Sins and Noses Under Water

Joshua 13:1-14:15

Luke 18:1-17

Psalm 85:1-13

Proverbs 13:7-8

We are a swimming family.  I swam competitively in high school (and no, I wasn't very good), and today both my high school sons have spent an inordinate amount of time in the water.  Which is perhaps why reading the parable of the two men in the temple, my mind floats (pun intended) to the water analogy I've heard used when people argue about greater and lesser sins.

The analogy goes like this: sins vary in gravity.  Some are like having your nose 5 feet under water.  The worse ones are like having your nose 50 feet under water.  And the less serious ones - the white lies, for example - maybe they're like having your nose a mere 5 inches beneath the surface.  They may vary in gravity, but the variance doesn't matter - if your nose is under water, you are going to drown.   

The Pharisee didn't get that.  He was all "well at least I'm not a thief or a killer".  He didn't realize it didn't matter.  He was a sinner, and he was going to drown in his sin, however small he thought his sin was. 

The tax collector got it, though.  He didn't care to know how far from air he was, all he knew was that he couldn't breathe water.  And so instead of comparing himself with others, he was calling for the help: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Note to self: when under water and air is needed, acknowledge the situation and ask for help.  And when in a state of sin (as in, always) and salvation is needed, acknowledge my helplessness and cry out to Jesus.