reflection on contrition

A reflection on contrition

Luke 4 :18..   "He hath sent me to heal the contrite of heart."

Shame, regret, remorse-all these things are bound up with the idea of contrition. However, contrition has to be defined in terms of an emotion every bit as strong as hate or envy or anger but, we note,  of a different colour altogether. The strength of the emotion that we know when we experience contrition is proportional to the strength of love we have for the person we have dishonoured by our actions. Our remorse is a measure of our love. If we truly love God as he commands us, then, the knowledge that we have hurt the one we love is painful in deed.

Feeling upset because we have let a friend down is a healthy emotion. It forges a desire not to do this again, it stimulates us to make some recompense for our misdeeds, it galvanises us to try harder the next time we feel a need to indulge our nature and put our interests before those of God. Now, God understands us; he reads and knows our hearts and the harder we try to put things right with him, the stronger is our sense of his great love working in our lives, helping and comforting us.

God has taken the consequences of our impurities, our rebelliousness, our disgrace onto himself. He has suffered and died for us once for all. Yet he is risen and lives and reigns in majesty and glory. So, we should feel shame when we sin but, also, be aware of the light that shines in every heart that knows contrition, for this is the healing light of our great King and  Saviour himself. Amen.

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