Becoming a Monster Pt. 3: How Jesus Heals Us from Sin and Dehumanization

In my last two writings, I introduced a different way of thinking about biblical sin and how a story in Daniel portrayed this idea. Now let’s explore how this topic relates to what Jesus has to do with all this.

Of all the things that Jesus said and did, the belief that what happened to Jesus on the cross and its implications for our sins today are inextricably connected. The earliest statements of what the first Christians believed come from a writing by Paul to the church(s) in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 15. He reminds the people at Corinth of a saying he taught them. He learned it shortly after his conversion. Why this is the earliest statement of beliefs the first Christians taught and affirmed is a post for another day. For our purpose, notice that out the gate, 1 Cor 15:3, he says.

“I passed on to you as of first importance what I received. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.”

If you lived in a Roman colony in the Mediterranean and a missionary spoke about a Kingdom you could join, you might ask: who is the King? They would tell you it is a Jewish man named Jesus. Presumably you would follow up with, tell me more about this Jesus guy. And the first thing you would be told is that he died for our sins. (Take note of the word our. It’s important, and we will come back to that soon.) Died for our sins? What would that have meant for a first-century audience?

The Word Sin

The word sin, in the Greek, is ἁμαρτία, ας, ἡ (hamartia). The common translation we hear in Christian circles is to miss the mark. Think of aiming at a target and missing your shot. In the Greco-Roman world, Hamartia was a literary device in Greek tragedies. It referred to a character’s tragic flaw or error in judgment causing their downfall. In the fourth-century BCE Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, the main character’s hamartia is his hubris. His resolve to avoid his fate leads to its fulfillment. Or, for those who haven’t read a lot of Greek tragedy, think of Walter White in the TV series Breaking Bad. His hamartia is his pride and self-confidence. It leads to his family falling apart and his friend/coworker’s mental health decaying. In the end, Walter White dies because of his hamartia. Sorry for the spoiler. Hamartia, or sin, is the tragic flaw within a person. It causes their downfall, whether intentional or unintentional.

At this point, you may be wondering what all of this has to do with sin and becoming a Monster. There is one word in this creed that should stand out to all of us, and we miss it far too often. Paul says OUR hamartia. Christ’s action on the cross was not for your personal salvation or saving. It was for the rescue and redemption of all things. The story of the Bible is about God’s desire to rescue and heal all things, to restore creation to its original good. Sin is the thing that has brought decay and death to His good creation. It is brought about through “tragic flaw” in ALL humans. The first Christians knew that when Jesus died on the cross, it was to free us ALL from the bondage of our own tragic flaws once and for all. His death serves as a way to save us from sin (hamartia).

Jesus Saves

We’ve all heard that phrase before. Whether through the mouth of the proselytizing Christian on the street or the Pastor at the pulpit. We’ve heard it so many times that its meaning is almost lost. Jesus saves. From what? From sin, they might say. Jesus saves me from my sin? How does Jesus save me from my poor choices, evil thoughts, and bad behavior? I’ve been a Christian for almost 30 years, and yet, I still make poor choices, have to check my thoughts, and sometimes behave badly. Did he save me or not? I believe he did. But not in the way you may think.

Being saved is a commonly used idea in the New Testament. There are far too many references for me to discuss them all, but I do think the idea can be summed up in a statement Paul makes in his letter to the church(s) in Rome: Romans 10:13.

“For Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Saved is the word σῴζω sōzō. It means to heal, preserve, or rescue. I prefer the word heal when it comes to Jesus’ saving work. To rescue or deliver can be seen as a one-time act where the action is done, and you move on. To heal takes time and effort. First on the part of the healer and the second on the part of the one being healed. When an injury occurs, you must repair the immediate damage right away. This repair process may take some time, based on the extent of the damage. Surgeries, stitches, etc. Then we recover. Which may require learning to walk, talk, rest, etc. This is all part of the healing process. When we think of Jesus saving us, we should consider that he is actually healing us. Putting us back together. Making us whole. Here’s the idea. We all, at times, are monsters in need of healing. We gossip, lie at work, yell at our kids, cheat on taxes, use religion as a weapon, and disparage our bodies. The list is endless. But you don’t have to be a monster. Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected so you, me, and this world can be healed.

He defeated the Monster, so you don’t have to become a monster.

His death and resurrection is the demonstration by God that you can trust Jesus as your healer. Why? Because Jesus’ death was a monstrous act that could not overcome the healer, Jesus. His resurrection should give us hope that if we trust Him, we, too, can be healed from the monster inside all of us.

A New Way of Thinking

As we conclude this discussion, I don’t assume that I have answered all your questions about sin and its implications for ourselves and our relationship with God. But I do hope we have added new language and thoughts to what sin is and the outworking of the decisions we make in life. Jesus invites us to become the humans he always intended us to be. Sin distorts that view and inevitably turns us into something non-human.

And, if left alone, we become a monster.