Admonish the Sinner

While recruiting authors for these pages, this was the one day that no one wanted. No one wanted to offer a reflection on the challenging idea of admonishing the sinner. It is a terribly uncomfortable work of mercy to discuss. 

Let's look at this as both the subject and object of this work. Sometimes you are the one needing admonishment and sometimes you are the one called to offer the admonishment. The challenge lies in discerning the difference between the two and offering that admonishment with the mercy, compassion, and love of Christ.

We are far more comfortable as the subject of the sentence, "I admonish the sinner." It is important that we help to correct the course of those going astray. Truth needs to be spoken. However, with the model of Christ, we are called to focus our admonishments in a way that comes from compassion, true care for the other, and a mind to the kingdom of God. Jesus looked with love (Mark 10:21) on those he was correcting. He spoke the truth, yes, but did so in a way that was mindful of where the person he was teaching was at in their lives and where he was inviting them to journey.

Being the object of the admonishment likely makes each of us shift in our seats or deny the need of such correction. Let's be real here. We all sin. We need to be blunt here. In a world where we use filters on our photos we can often avoid the dark and unattractive corners of who we really are. Admonishing the sinner means we need to be open to the light of Christ, and whoever brings that light and words of truth, into our lives. We need to acknowledge our failings, listen to the wisdom and correction of others, seek forgiveness, and strive to greater faithfulness as disciples.

The very essence of being the object means each of us is on the receiving side. The American way is one of independence and self-sufficiency. These are not inherently bad characteristics, but in our faith lives this can often lead us to a place where we deny the need for correction of our thoughts, words, choices and actions. We can use those characteristics to deny the need for the saving grace of God. "But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)."

We need to be humble, honest, and open to the grace and love of God as we journey through the moments of being the subject and object of admonishing the sinner.

Jennifer Delvaux

Director of Faith Formation

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