Forgiven Thieves
“We are beggars. This is true.” In her blog, Blessed Beggars, Heather Schulz tells us that those words had been written by Martin Luther on a scrap of paper found in his pocket after he died.
Such is the cry of a destitute sinner. “Lord, help and save me, not because of righteous things I have done, but only because of your mercy. I have nothing to offer but my sins, shame, struggles, and sorrows my life has brought upon me.
As he hung on the cross he was being justly punished for his sin. “Remember me” was heard by the giver of mercies.
It is horrible to have lived the life of a thief, to move in the darkness, especially if you as a pastor are that thief. To have so lived causes psychological and emotional effects. Research indicates that persistent dishonesty leads to the destruction of personal relationships due to the fear of being exposed for what one is. Over time, a thief becomes depersonalized, a being without an identity, the loss of what is called persona, the mask one is forced to wear.
It is a tragedy when a pastor becomes an actor because the altar then becomes the stage. This is a critical metaphor in contemporary theology describing the shift from God-centered worship to man-centered performance. It highlights a transition where the privilege of sacred space is used for self-glorification, entertainment, and applause. When this happens the church becomes a unit the pastor assembles.
Kevin Martin, a minister overwhelmed by the demands of his job became a logger in Canada before facing his own mental health. Paul Mukendi, a pastor in Quebec fled to the Congo in 2021 to avoid an eight-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Shepherd Bushiri fled to South Africa in 2020 with his wife while facing fraud and money laundering charges.
The danger is managing sin on one’s own. It increases the sense of isolation and shame that one can overcome shame on one’s own without external accountability. That is the deception of sin that hardens the heart. It thrives on secrecy and runs from confession for fear of acceptance.
True confession alone initiates true healing. That is built upon the authority of God that vengeance is an incommunicable attribute of God. He alone can take vengeance because His judgement is perfect and unbiased.
Whether we carry a secret which it is a mistake we made or trauma we have endured, they are still a part of us. We fail to realize how much energy it takes to keep them hidden as long as they remain in one’s mind. When these things stay in your head they distort your mind. When you are running from something they act like monsters. Once you confess and name the monsters, they lose their power to vilify.
Healing often comes when one is able to integrate all that he/she has been without refusing to acknowledge any part of their life. This happens when one comes to the realization that one is a sinner and all that one has done Christ has accounted for.
We hear Christ say “It is finished.” Every single sin is His. His righteousness becomes our own. Without Him we are thieves in the night. We sing together, Help of the Helpless oh abide with me. We are blessed. For us He died. For us He lives. His death is ours. His resurrection is ours. We sing together, We know that our Redeemer lives!
