Blind corners

‘One day a visitor arrived at the rich man’s home. The rich man didn’t want to kill one of his own animals to prepare a meal for him; instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked a meal for his guest.’ David became very angry at the rich man and said, ‘I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this ought to die! For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took.’ ‘You are that man,’ Nathan said to David.    (verses 4-7a)

Read 2 Samuel 12:1-14

A young wife made this confession: ‘I nagged my husband. At a particular junction of the road near our home (a blind corner) he always cuts the corner. I assured him that one day he’d meet a car coming from the other direction with dire results. Well today it happened to me. I cut the corner — not as much as my hubby does — but I cut the corner, and coming from the other direction was a big car. I hastily readjusted, not only the car to the right side of the road, but also my perspective. I realised I was condemning my hubby for something wrong that I was also guilty of.’

David had no trouble identifying the sin perpetrated by someone else. His trouble lay in recognising his contempt for the Lord through his own actions.

And from the cross, looking out over all humanity, Jesus said, ‘Forgive them, Father! They don’t know not what they are doing.’

Lord Jesus, I often fail to see the injustices in my own life, while I am quick to see the sins of others. Have mercy, Lord. Clothe me with the same compassion that led you to cry, ‘Father, forgive them’. Amen.

by Eunice Freiberg in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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