LUKE 7:36-8:3 AND 2 SAMUEL 11:26 -12:10; 12:13-15 

Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus into his home for a meal. A woman crashed the dinner party and bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. This woman had her nerve coming into Simon’s home. He would never have anything to do with someone he could easily label as a sinner – a label he would never apply to himself. Simon couldn’t understand why Jesus allowed this kind of a woman to touch him. Jesus then told the Pharisee about the woman, “I tell you,” He said, “her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love.” 

It’s not that hard to sin. It comes with a thought or a slip of the tongue. We do it every day – probably many, many times a day. What is truly hard is not to sin and the minute we think we’re sinless we’re guilty of pride. So sin is always with us and it’s amazing the path on which it can lead us.  

It was the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle. There was a time when King David would’ve been anxious to lead the troops; after all he had been a fearless leader at one time. 

When he was but a youth he took food to his older brothers at the battlefront and he saw how the Lord’s army was unable to move against the enemy. The enemy had one giant of a man, named Goliath, who was totally intimidating. But David believed that the Lord was on their side and he went up against the giant with nothing more than a sling and some rocks - and killed him. He was a fearless leader because he believed that the Lord was with him. But now in this particular spring of the year David remained in Jerusalem and sent his commander, Joab, and his best officers, such as Uriah, into the battle. 

David relaxed in his palace and took an afternoon nap. When he awakened he took a walk around the roof of his residence. He could look down on the houses around him and in one of them he saw a very beautiful woman bathing. He sent a servant to find out who she was. Her name was Bathsheba, the wife of one of his officers who had been sent into battle, named Uriah. He told a messenger to bring her to him. What he did next with her was a terrible sin. 

Later Bathsheba sent word to David that she was expecting a child. David’s mind began to consider all of his options. He sent a message to Joab asking that Uriah be sent back to him. When his officer arrived David asked how Joab and the troops were doing, and how the battle was going; and he got his report and then he told Uriah to relax - to go home and spend time with his wife. He deserved that. David even gave him a present. But Uriah slept with the servants at the door of the palace ready to go back into battle the minute he received the order. The next day David found that out and asked him why he didn’t go home to his wife? His reply was that the troops were in the field, they had no comforts, they were at war, and he felt it was wrong for him to relax and go home and sleep with his wife. That evening David wined and dined Uriah hoping that once he was drunk he would then go home – but he didn’t. He stayed with the King’s servants waiting for orders from his master. No better soldier could ever be found. 

The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah as he went back to the battlefront. In the letter David ordered that Uriah be put in the front of the heaviest fighting and then the troops were to withdraw so that Uriah would stand alone against the enemy - and die. David made Uriah carry his own note of execution. So Uriah died for his king. What David did was one terrible sin after another. He then took Bathsheba as his wife and she gave birth to a son. It was the start of a new life for the king. He had a beautiful wife and a young child. And it could be expected that they all would live happily ever after. 

Along came Nathan, the prophet of God. He had a simple little story to share with David. There was a rich man who had lots of things – including many animals, and then there was a poor man who had very little. The poor man had only one animal – a little lamb that was a pet for the whole family. The lamb lived with the family and ate from the table. One day the rich man had company. He really didn’t want to butcher any one of his many animals to serve to the company, so instead he took the one lamb, the pet, that the poor man had, and used it for himself. 

David was incensed by this story as told by Nathan.  He was so angry at the rich man that he declared of him that he deserved to die. Nathan allowed David to show his anger and to consider the injustice and lack of pity. When David was done venting his feelings, Nathan looked him in the eye, and slowly said to him, “You are the man!” 

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” The prophet of God then told David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.” 

It’s quite obvious that sin can hurt us, change us, ridicule us, lead us down the wrong path, and destroy us. We also know that sin hurts others just as much.  But what is worst of all is when our sin causes an innocent one to suffer or die. That is devastating! It’s the worst punishment that a sinner must ever face. The child has done nothing. The child is as innocent as any human can be. But here, because of David, the child will die. What a terrible burden sin places on a human being. 

David and Bathsheba’s son became very ill. David pleaded with God for the child. Without a doubt he would ask God to take his life and spare the Childs. David was guilty. The child was innocent. David would not eat. He lay flat on the ground and prayed and cried and prayed, day and night. On the seventh day the child died.

The servants were afraid to tell David. They were afraid he would do some harm to himself. But when he heard the servants whispering he knew – he knew that the child had died. 

He then got up, washed, changed clothes, and went into the house of the Lord to worship. After that he went to his house and ate. The servants couldn’t understand how he could go from one extreme of praying and fasting, to returning to what was normal. He explained it to them this way, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” 

To sin is so human. To cause hurt to others because of our sins is what so often happens. We can’t go back and get a second chance, the damage is done. We have to face what we have done and seek forgiveness. We are so blessed as to have a gracious God who will listen to our prayers and respond. We are granted forgiveness over and over again – no matter what the sin. And because we recognize our sinfulness and our guilt, and what we deserve because of it; we realize the joy that comes in being forgiven.  

And with the joy of forgiveness we’re able to show great love. We have been saved. Our past has been wiped clean. We are free to live and we are free to love – all because of God’s forgiveness. It’s amazing what God will do for us to free us from our past and to give us the opportunity to live and love as forgiven children of God. It is indeed an amazing grace!  AMEN!

Pastor Darrell Vetter