Sins of Omission

In confessing our sins to God, we tend to list things we've done wrong, or commandments we've violated. But it's harder to list the right things we should have done.

In this post, let's turn to Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (NLT), and let's take this one verse at a time. In verse 1,

If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner.

Hmm. But what if the owner lives far away? Or what if we don't even know the owner? In verse 2,

If its owner does not live nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, take it to your place and keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then you must return it.

OK. But does this apply only to farm animals? In verse 3,

Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t ignore your responsibility.

OK. So these commandments just deal with lost items, right? In verse 4,

If you see that your neighbor’s donkey or ox has collapsed on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it back on its feet!

By this point, the message is clear. We must help others, regardless of who those others might be, and regardless of what the circumstances might be. Not helping others is a sin.

If we add those "sins of omission" to our other transgressions, the list grows infinitely (and depressingly) long. It becomes clear that we cannot ever become righteous in God's eyes through our own works. Instead, our only hope is to appeal to God's infinite forgiveness.