"Missed it by That Much"

We began an interesting sermon series this past Sunday. It is called "Seven" and it is an exploration of what sin is, how it affects our lives, and what can be done about it. Last Sunday, we talked about the importance of understanding just what sin actually is. All too often, people think sin equals evil. The problem with that is that most people that I know are not evil people, but they are sinners. In the bible, sin is a bit more nuanced than we consider it to be in our culture. For instance, in the Old Testament, there are several words used to describe sin. One is “hatta’â," which basically means missing the mark. Another is “pesha,” which means breaking a specific law or commandment. The next is “awon,” which means bending or twisting reality to fit our needs rather than seeing and doing God's will. In the New Testament, the word used for sin, “hamartia,” is associated with missing the mark, as in archery. Missing the mark is a way of understanding sin that makes it apply to all of us without declaring everyone evil. This is a very important distinction. All evil is sin, but all sin is not necessarily evil.
There can be any number of reasons why we miss the mark. We may be aiming wrong, we may become distracted, or we might do everything that we can to hit the mark, but we just miss it. Thankfully, Jesus said that he came "not to call the righteous, but sinners." That means you and I are in. The church, therefore, should function not only as a hotel for saints, but also as a hospital for sinners.
Here is a little clip from my favorite summer movie "Get Smart" to bring home the point (and who better than Maxwell Smart to teach us about missing the mark? I mean, really).