Repentance Can Be Messy

I can remember some of the times when I’ve sinned and failed miserably before the Lord. Some of the times it was private and others were against others publicly. I’ve witness “fake repentance” and I’ve experienced the real thing. I believe that repentance should carry with it “profound regret”.

Ezra was a prophet with the people of Judah and Benjamin who had been exiled to Babylon. King Darius of Persia later took over and allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of God as well as their city. They had been in captivity over 70 years. Not long after they returned and started the clean up and building of the Temple, they sinned against God. They began to intermingle with people who worshipped other gods and defied the One True God. This really angered God and Ezra was stunned when he heard about it. He began the process of repentance immediately on behalf of the small nation of returned exiles. Check this out…

1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites – men, women and children – gathered round him. They too wept bitterly. (Ezra 10:1 NIV)

Messy repentance is genuine and involves making it right. Messy repentance requires heart-change. I can change my behavior on a moment’s notice, but heart change requires more investment and “buy in”.

I was thinking of the repentance of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who was changed because of his encounter with Jesus. He repented profoundly too. Check this out…

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ (Luke 19:8 NIV)

Repentance can also be expensive as well as messy. It often involves restitution of some sort. As Ezra lead the people in repentance, their hearts began to hurt with the things that hurt the heart of God. I believe involves me reconnecting my heart to his heart and leaving behind my past sinful behavior.

Pressing On!

Dwayne