This Tuesday we are beginning our Lenten study of the seven deadly sins and how Christ’s words from the cross are in reparation for those sins. In ++Sheen’s first chapter, he contrasts the sin of Anger with Jesus’ pronouncement “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) The discussion of anger begins with a comparison of righteous anger as exemplified by Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple (see, John 2:13-16) with the anger which seeks to get even. Anger is not necessarily sinful, as Paul writes, “Be angry, but do not sin.” (Eph. 3:26). Rather sinful anger arises when there is no rightful cause. It is, according to ++Sheen, anger that results from ignorance, ignorance of others and an ignorance of ourselves. As Peter points out in his Pentecost sermon, the people killed Jesus out of anger because they, and their leaders, were ignorant of who he was. (Acts 3:17). Because sinful anger results from ignorance, it is the virtue of forgiveness that overcomes the sin of anger. In addition to reading through chapter 1 of ++Sheen’s book, also please read through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) or at least those verses concerning anger and ignorance (Matthew 5:21-26, 38-42; 7:1-5).
If you do not have a book yet, please let me know. I have attached a copy of chapter 1 of The Seven Capital Sins, so you can still keep up with the reading if you don’t have a book by Tuesday. Dinner on Tuesday is at 6. The menu is chicken corn chowder. We will end with Compline. Please bring a friend. Hope to see you here.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:21-22.