About Sin: The Command of the Lord is Clear

About Sin: The Command of the Lord is Clear

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers, and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said,

“Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:13-17)

A long while ago, I watched a tape of an old talk show. My memory may not be complete, but I still remember the gist of it. On this particular show, talk show host Phil Donahue faced off against respected moral theologian Msgr. William J. Smith. During the course of a discussion about sin, the host, who described himself as a “practicing Catholic,” tried to get a laugh at his guest’s expense.

“But, Monsignor!” he complained. “First, doing something is a sin. Then, not doing something is a sin. Now, thinking about sin is a sin!” The audience laughed.

“I don’t know about that,” answered the priest. “But perhaps joking about sin is a sin.”

Donahue milked the audience’s groan for all it was worth, going into his best victimhood routine. Few knew that, after the cameras were turned off, his last two words to his guest were “Never again.” He knew he had lost.

I watched another showdown years later on national television between another Catholic priest and another talk show host. This host also called himself a “practicing Catholic.” Then he made a joke about sin. The priest told the truth about sin. He was immediately criticized by the host as “intolerant,” “unwise,” and having the need to “clean his own house.” In the days that followed, others felt compelled to join in this public criticism. Many of them were Catholics, and some were priests. Believe me, it was no coincidence that these interviews both happened during Lent.

The Gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Lent is described like this in the psalms:

Let not those who put their hope in thee
be put to shame through me,
O Lord GOD of hosts;
let not those who seek thee be
brought to dishonor through me,
O God of Israel.
For it is for thy sake that I have borne reproach,
that shame has covered my face.
I have become a stranger to my brethren,
an alien to my mother’s sons.
For zeal for thy house has consumed me,
and the insults of those who insult thee have fallen on me.
When I humbled my soul with fasting,
it became my reproach.
When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.
I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
and the drunkards make songs about me.
(Psalm 69:6-12)

This is God who gave those He loves His Commandments through Moses. This is Jesus the High Priest, the one who knows what sin is. We are desensitized to sin, the way police officers are desensitized to the appearance of blood and brains. We joke about sin, and we laugh about sin. Yet sin is the deadliest thing in creation.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.

Knowing this, a priest rightly scolds one who would make light of sin, for who else but a priest should do it? Are you one of a priestly people?

I am consumed with zeal for your house.

And what is God’s house, but His temple, His Church, His Faithful, your own heart? Perhaps we should learn to laugh more. But, this Lent, I, for one, pray that I will never laugh at sin, for those who laugh at sin are but drunkards at the gate, singing as laughing thieves sell their hearts, like doves, for the fire.