Sirach 5:1-15: a reflection

1Don’t set your heart upon your goods. Don’t say, “They are sufficient for me.” 2Don’t follow your own mind and your strength to walk in the desires of your heart. 3Don’t say, “Who will have dominion over me?” for the Lord will surely take vengeance on you. 4Don’t say, “I sinned, and what happened to me?” for the Lord is patient. 5Don’t be so confident of atonement that you add sin upon sins. 6Don’t say, “His compassion is great. He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins,” for mercy and wrath are with him, and his indignation will rest on sinners. 7Don’t wait to turn to the Lord. Don’t put off from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come on you, and you will perish in the time of vengeance. 8Don’t set your heart upon unrighteous gains, for you will profit nothing in the day of calamity. 9Don’t winnow with every wind. Don’t walk in every path. This is what the sinner who has a double tongue does. 10Be steadfast in your understanding. Let your speech be consistent. 11Be swift to hear and answer with patience. 12If you have understanding, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth. 13Glory and dishonor is in talk. A man’s tongue may be his downfall. 14Don’t be called a whisperer. Don’t lie in wait with your tongue; for shame is on the thief, and an evil condemnation is on him who has a double tongue. 15Don’t be ignorant in a great or small matter.

This passage warns against a dangerous way of thinking about God's mercy. Some, it says, presume on that mercy as license to keep sinning: they say, I sinned, and what happened to me? or, His compassion is great; he will be pacified for the multitude of my sins. And so they are confident of forgiveness while adding sin upon sins, and they put off turning to God from day to day. The warning is sharp: do not presume on God's mercy as though it were permission to keep sinning, or a reason to delay repentance.

Notice the presumption the passage warns against: treating God's mercy as license to keep sinning and to delay turning back. Because God is merciful and patient, some reason that they can keep sinning safely, that his compassion will simply cover it, that there is no hurry to turn back. But this presumes on mercy, twisting it into permission; it adds sin upon sins in the confidence that forgiveness is assured, and puts off repentance from day to day. God's mercy is real, but it is not license to keep sinning; to presume so is to abuse the very mercy one relies on.

That presumption is a subtle danger, for the very truth of God's mercy can be twisted into an excuse to keep sinning and to delay turning back. We can reason, because God is merciful, that our sin does not much matter, that we can put off dealing with it, that his compassion will cover our continued sinning. But this presumes on mercy rather than receiving it, and puts off the repentance we should not delay. Do not presume on God's mercy as license to keep sinning, reasoning that his compassion will simply cover your continued sin; and do not put off turning to him from day to day. God's mercy is not permission to keep sinning, but a reason to turn to him now, without delay. Receive God's mercy rather than presuming on it, turning from your sin today rather than adding sin upon sins in the confidence that forgiveness costs nothing; for his mercy is real, but it is not license, and the time to turn back is now, not some delayed tomorrow.

Lord, this passage warns against a dangerous way of thinking about your mercy: some presume on it as license to keep sinning, saying, I sinned, and what happened to me? or, his compassion is great; he will be pacified for the multitude of my sins. And so they are confident of forgiveness while adding sin upon sins, and put off turning to you from day to day. The warning is sharp: do not presume on your mercy as though it were permission to keep sinning, or a reason to delay repentance. Show me the presumption the passage warns against: treating your mercy as license to keep sinning and to delay turning back. Because you are merciful and patient, some reason that they can keep sinning safely, that your compassion will simply cover it, that there is no hurry to turn back. But this presumes on mercy, twisting it into permission. Your mercy is real, but it is not license to keep sinning; to presume so is to abuse the very mercy I rely on. That presumption is a subtle danger, for the very truth of your mercy can be twisted into an excuse to keep sinning and to delay turning back. Keep me from presuming on your mercy as license to keep sinning, reasoning that your compassion will simply cover my continued sin; and keep me from putting off turning to you from day to day. Your mercy is not permission to keep sinning, but a reason to turn to you now. Help me receive your mercy rather than presuming on it, Lord, turning from my sin today rather than adding sin upon sins. The time to turn back is now.