Christ Is Risen! He Has Not Canceled Us!

Fr. John Riccardo

April 21, 2021

Most of us are more than familiar with Peter’s three-fold denial of Jesus at the charcoal fire on that Holy Thursday night. It is, undoubtedly, the most humiliating and shameful moment in Peter’s life. There, as his Master and Lord was being judged, slapped, spit upon, and handed over to be tortured to death, Peter denied he even knew Jesus—he who had boasted just an hour or so before that he would lay down his life for the Lord.

However, though we’re oh so familiar with this shameful episode, I don’t know that most of us give adequate thought to this simple question: how do we even know this happened? None of the other apostles were there at the fire. The slave girl who did witness it couldn’t send out a tweet, nor could the others present post anything on their social media pages, thereby “canceling” Peter the moment he walked out of the Upper Room and started preaching on Pentecost. 

 I would suggest we know about this shameful moment in Peter’s life quite simply because he told others about it. This is rather incredible, and all the more so perhaps for us living in this time when peoples’ pasts get them labeled as offensive and canceled for one reason or another. Peter didn’t hide from his sin, nor did he make excuses or blame someone else. He let others know about what he had done. 

 In fact, the Gospels bring to light over and over again the offensive behavior of the apostles who were closest to Jesus. As public relations material the Gospels are horribly ineffective...if they are trying to convince others of the greatness and perfection of the leaders of the early Christian community. But, of course, that’s not what the Gospels are about at all. They’re not written so that others would be impressed with the leaders; they were written so that others might know that Jesus is Lord, the promised Messiah, who has defeated the dark powers.

 Paul tells the Church in Colossae, “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions...he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:12-14).

For those of us living in the midst of a “cancel culture” this is amazing. God doesn’t cancel us, no matter how offensive our behavior has been, or is. He cancels, He “obliterates,” our sins, if only we acknowledge them and sincerely repent and ask His forgiveness. Not only is this amazing, but it is a reason for great hope, for who of us does not have a past? 

 When Paul writes to the small Christian community in Corinth, “and such were some of you,” he is more than likely thinking of very specific people (cf. 1 Cor 6:11). In other words, he knew who they were and what they had done before they came to know Jesus. Some of them—all of them, in fact—had lived less than stellar lives. But it didn’t matter. Paul could say about himself, after all, that before he encountered Jesus he “was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man” (1 Tim 1:13). Who talks like this? Certainly not many people who make the headlines right now. Instead, we hear people try to explain away their offensive behavior, or lay the blame at someone else’s feet. Neither Paul nor any of his companions had to hire a firm to “erase” their past histories; they knew that Jesus had done that by His Precious Blood poured out on the cross in His selfless act of love. And they eagerly desired everyone to know that their pasts, however shameful, could be “obliterated” as well. 

 As we continue to celebrate this Easter season, and to ponder at length the practical difference the resurrection of Jesus makes in our lives, let us linger this week in unspeakable gratitude that the Lord has canceled not us but our sins. Let us pray for opportunities to let others know there is a merciful and gracious Savior who desires to wash away their sins by His own Blood. And let us be very, very careful not to define others by what has been obliterated by that Blood.