Shattered Relationships

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

Today's reading from the Hebrew Scriptures recount the sin of David with Bathsheba and how it led him to the sin of murder. While King David is regarded as the greatest of the kings of Israel, he was not a paragon of virtue.

Truth be told, neither are we. We are all sinners.

The story of the sin of David teaches us that all sin destroys relationship. First of all, David's relationship to Uriah, a valuable and valiant soldier was destroyed by his sin of lust. His relationship with his people was also destroyed. When Nathan publicizes David's falling from grace, no one can see him as the "ideal" king anymore. We also know that David's relationship with God was damaged as well. He had broken the Law, the covenant that God had made with the people of Israel. At least two of the commandments were shattered by David's actions – probably a few others as well.

Because sin shatters relationships, it is impossible to say that one sin is graver than another. We would do better to consider the relationship that has been broken rather than the sin that broke the relationship. What makes David's sin so grave is not so much the deed itself as the damage it has done to a privileged relationship with God.

You might remember the story from the Gospel of St. Luke that tells of two sinners in the Temple: one a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee engages in the odious activity of comparing himself to the "rest of men." Perhaps his deeds were lesser sins on the scales. However, he never stops to consider what his sins have done to his relationship with God. The publican, on the other hand, never stops asking God for mercy. He realizes that his deeds have fractured his relationship with God and asks that it be healed and he be reconciled to God.

It is so important for us to remember the effect of sin, more so than the sin itself. Then we can begin to understand why the Gospel calls us to repentance and conversion. These two things are, after all, the meat of the Gospel.