David Roberts, The Summit of Mount Sinai, lithograph, 1839
Station Six: Resolution
Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away! Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no guile! (1,2)
Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; shout for joy, all who are true of heart. -Psalm 32:1-2, 12
Jesus said, If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-25). A proper confession requires amendment of life. If I can't make amends directly to the people I've hurt, I can build something useful, or repair something else that's broken, putting my very body into the practices of my new life. The old word “satisfaction” for this step represents the actions of a true change of heart. The amendment not only includes promises of a new way of life, but secures upon rock the foundation upon which that new life is grounded.
Holy One, come to my aid. Guide me, inspire me, instruct me, protect me, be with me as I go out and as I return. Amen
A Story about the House Built on a Good Foundation
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.
