Separating the Sin from the Sinner

  The story of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15:11-32, tells a story of a young man who left home to experience life in his own way. During that time, he partied in ways that were very sinful and ultimately squandered his father’s wealth. He ended up at rock bottom, broke, homeless and ashamed. When he realized the tremendous mistake he made, he asked if he could come home. His father’s response is one that we should all learn from. Rather than getting angry over his son’s actions and the loss of his wealth, he separated that behavior apart from his son. By doing so, he was able to forgive his son.

  This parable teaches us that we can learn to separate the sin from the sinner in order to have open communication and find forgiveness. If that step is overlooked, the person who is at fault will have their defenses raised cutting off effective communication. The discussion will be much more arguementative making it difficult to find forgiveness.

  It is important to remember that we have all been forgiven because God has separated us from our sin through the work of Jesus on the cross. We need to follow his example and separate the sin from the sinner.