Fess up!

They say that confession is good for the soul. Hidden sins weigh us down and hinder our relationships with God and others. Confession involves admitting our sins before God and seeking his forgiveness. It also involves thanking and praising him for his undeserved mercy.

Solomon wrote that if we cover our sins we will not prosper, but if we confess and forsake them we will find mercy (Proverbs 28:13). James advises us to confess our faults to each other and pray for each other that we may be healed (James 5:16).

Yet the idea of confession leaves us feeling like we are exposed and vulnerable. If we reveal the deep secret within us we are open to scrutiny, ridicule, or judgment. We may even be punished.

That is only one side of confession. The lexicons describe confession as admitting, affirming, or proclaiming something. It is making a public stand. We may still reveal something of ourselves, and we may face ridicule or judgment, but we are taking a stand nonetheless.

Confession may be good for the soul, but apparently it is good for our witness, too.

John the baptizer was a confessor … a witness to the truth. The son of Zechariah the priest, John left the cushy life of temple service to retreat to the wilderness to confess the coming of the kingdom and its anointed one.

People came in droves to confess their sins and to hear John’s confession. Because confession is good for the soul and it is good for our witness.

The important folks from Jerusalem, fellow priests of John’s father, came to ask questions. “Who are you?” they interrogated. So John confessed to them.

The language of John’s response is interesting. “John confessed (he didn’t deny but confessed), “I am not the Christ.” He then confessed he was neither Elijah nor the Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-22). That is, John didn’t try to conceal anything or refuse to talk to them. He fessed up.

John went on to describe himself as Isaiah’s “voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:3). He said he baptized with water in anticipation of one coming, arising, coming to the forefront. He would be so great that John confessed he would not be worthy even to take the place of least of servants by untying the anointed one’s shoes.

I guess John was in a confessing mood that day because confession is good for one’s soul as well as one’s witness. He wanted to be a faithful witness.

We can gain a lot from John’s Advent witness. He headed for the wilderness to live against the grain of culture and call attention to the kingdom. It was his passion, his obsession. He called people to repentance or change of heart and life in preparation for the kingdom. He baptized people into the kingdom. He spoke of one coming after, the anointed one, who would bring the kingdom.

To confess Christ, I think, involves a certain amount of this. It involves retreating from the world to live and act differently, and then to call attention to the kingdom and the one who comes.

Jesus said something similar. “Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.” There is something about putting all your cards on the table and coming clean with where you stand with Jesus that pleases him. That is true especially if it means confession leads to scrutiny, adversity, and the bad opinion of others. It costs to follow Jesus, and we need to be willing to pay the price. Jesus himself is the apostle and high priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1).

Confession is good for the soul and it is necessary for our witness.

So what do with do with this? As the embassy of God’s kingdom I think it means we speak and live a confession that honors Jesus Christ. We engage the world, but we resemble the kingdom.

We confess to God all our sins and seek his forgiveness. Sins that keep others from being able to tell we are Jesus’ disciples, such as our bitterness and unloving attitudes. We ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit to heal and to walk in love. Then we confess the sins of worldliness and the things that have kept us from accurately portraying the kingdom. We reorder priorities, get rid of baggage and garbage, and we walk together in holiness and righteousness.

So, fess up!

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

John 1:6-8, 19-29 (3 Advent B)