Sin & Salvation
In Luke 15, the Pharisees criticize Jesus for keeping company with the wrong people: “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” What they meant as an insult perfectly describes Jesus’ mission, because he came to welcome sinners—and that includes all of us. Sin, as the Book of Common Prayer defines it, is the distortion of our relationships with God, one another, and creation, bending life-giving bonds into something harmful. But sin is not the end of the story. Salvation is. Too often, salvation is framed as being “saved from”—from sin, punishment, or hell. But the more powerful truth is that Jesus saves us for something: for God’s mission, for transformation, for lives marked by grace, hope, and love. Paul himself saw his salvation not just as rescue, but as a call to become an example of God’s mercy. So the real question isn’t just what you’ve been saved from, but what you’ve been saved for. When you come to the table with empty hands stretched out for bread and wine, remember that Jesus welcomes you—and listen for how God might be calling you to live out your salvation in the world.
