Repent...and be at Peace!

The first story comes from Africa and was told by Festo Kivengere (former Anglican Archbishop of Kigezi, Uganda, and leader of the African Enterprise evangelistic team) in Decision magazine. He says, "My uncle, the chief, was sitting in court one day with his courtiers around him when a man came and bowed in the African way. He was rich in cattle and was well known as a man who sought God through the spirits of dead relatives. He had come with eight cows which he left some twenty yards away.

'I have come for a purpose, sir,' the man said.

'What are those cows for?' asked the chief.

'Sir, they are yours.'

'What do you mean they are mine?'

'They are yours. When I was looking after your cattle, I stole four and now they are eight, and I am bringing them.'

'Who arrested you?'

'Jesus arrested me, sir, and here are your cows.'

There was no laughter, only a shocked silence. My uncle could see this man was at peace with himself and rejoicing.

'You can put me in prison or beat me up,' the man said, 'but I am liberated. Jesus came my way and I am a free human being.'

'Well, if God has done that for you, who am I to put you in prison? You go home.'

A few days later, having heard the news, I went to see my uncle. I said to him, 'Uncle, I hear you got eight free cows!'

'Yes, it's true,' he said.

'You must be happy.'

'Forget it! Since that man came, I can't sleep. If I want the peace he has, I would have to return a hundred cows!'"

Kivengere says that later this chief did come to Jesus Christ!

[http://www.christianity.co.nz/repent2.htm]

Repentance...and Regret

Rav Sholom Shvadron told the following story:

There was a man who had one son. The son was the joy of the man's life. When the child got older, he child decided to move overseas. The man was greatly saddened by the fact that the ocean would be separating him from his son. While overseas, the son got married and had children. The father greatly desired to see his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. The father constantly wrote to his son that he should come visit with his family. However, each time the invitation was extended, the son always replied that for some reason or another, a visit just was not foreseeable any time in the near future. Since this was the case, and the father's urge to see his son just grew over time, the father wrote to his son that since it was difficult for the son to make the trip, he would come and make the long journey to see the son and his family.

From the time that the father decided he was going to make this trip, he was busy with all sorts of preparations. The father's excitement grew as his departure date drew closer. Finally the day arrived. He embarked the ship laden with packages and gifts for his son and his family. Each day, the father did not cease to think about the fact that he would soon be seeing his son. From time to time, he would go on deck to see if they were nearing dry land. One morning, when he looked out, he saw the coastline, and his heart skipped a beat - he would soon be seeing his son! As the ship moved into the port, he scanned the people standing around, hoping to catch a glimpse of his son. However, he could not find him. He had no choice but to wait until he disembarked from the ship, and then search for his son.

One can only imagine how distraught the father was when his son was nowhere to be found. However, the father immediately gave his son the benefit of the doubt. He assumed that his son must have been so busy preparing for his imminent arrival that he was not able to meet him at the port. In order not to waste precious time, the father rushed to the train station so he would not miss the next train to the town where his son lived. Throughout his train ride, he was sure that his son would be there to meet him at the station. His excitement was building with each mile. When the train arrived at the station, he ran off the train, not wanting to miss his son. His disappointment with not finding his son there was greater than before. However, now his thoughts were not so much focused on the fact that his son might be busy with preparations. Instead, he started worrying: Did his son get into an accident, was everything all right?

With a heart full of worry and anxiety, the father hailed a cab to take him to his son's house. During the ride, he started imaging the warm reception awaiting him at the house. However, this dream was shattered as well. When the father arrived at the house, he found all the curtains drawn, and only a faint light could made out in one of the rooms of the house. Again the father started worrying. Was everyone healthy, did anything bad happen? His hands trembled as he knocked on the door. He knocked and waited for an answer, but there was none. He knocked again, this time harder, yet there was still no answer. Finally after knocking for a third time, he heard a faint "Who's there?" coming from the house. The father immediately recognized the voice - it was his son, who he longed to see. His excitement was unbounded knowing that the only thing that separated him from seeing his son was a door. The father responded "It is me, your father who traveled from afar to see you! Please, open the door!"

After a moment of silence, the son answered "Father, I have already removed my clothes for the night. Would it be a great trouble if you could stay at the hotel across the street tonight? I'm already in bed, and its a little difficult for me to come to the door right now. I will pick you up first thing in the morning." When the father heard this, he was despondent and infuriated. He thought "For years I have greatly desired to see my son. I had hoped that he would honor me and come visit me. However, that did not happen, and I had to go visit him. I had no doubt that he would be there with his children waiting for me at the port, yet he did not do this either. I thought that perhaps he had a reason that prevented him from greeting me at the port, but he would definitely be at the train station. He wasn't there. I finally come to his house only to find it dark. I knock on the door, only to find that my son is too lazy to even let me inside! After all this, I should wait for HIM at a hotel? I most certainly will NOT do this! " The father hailed the first taxi he could find, and went to the train station. He caught the first train back to the port, and immediately got on a ship headed back to his home, without even seeing his son.

The next morning, the son awoke. His heart was filled with remorse and regret for how he had treated his father the night before. He quickly got dressed, and ran to the hotel to find his father. The way the son felt upon discovering that his father was not there cannot be described. To call it anguish, remorse, or pain would only be an understatement.

---

Throughout the whole year, Hashem waits for the people of the nation of Israel to return to him with a complete heart. Hashem sees that we are not alacritious, and that we do not run to repent. Therefore, during this time of the year, Hashem comes to us. These days are days of mercy, which makes it even easier for us to repent, yet many people fail to take advantage of this opportunity. Hashem comes to us, but we will not even open the door for Him.

Hashem not only gave us the month of Elul and the holiday of Rosh HaShana to repent, but he gave us the "Ten Days of Repentance" as well. Our passing up both of these opportunities understandably causes Hashem anguish, just as the father was anguished when his son did not come to meet him. On Yom Kippur, Hashem is knocking on the doors of our heart, greatly desiring to be let in. Hopefully, we, unlike the son of the story, will at least do this, so we will not have to regret our mistake later.

[http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/yomkippur/vol1no41.html#]

The Repentant Sinner

Leo Tolstoy gives us this story (and much to think about): http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Repentant_Sinner.

Here is a version with more modern language:

There was once a man who lived for seventy years in the world, and lived in sin all that time. He fell ill, but even then did not repent. Only at the last moment, as he was dying, he wept and said:

'Lord! forgive me, as You forgave the thief upon the cross.'

And as he said these words, his soul left his body. And the soul of the sinner, feeling love towards God and faith in His mercy, went to the gates of heaven, and knocked, praying to be let into the heavenly kingdom.

Then a voice spoke from within the gate:

'What man is it that knocks at the gates of Paradise, and what deeds did he do during his life?'

And the voice of the Accuser replied, recounting all the man's evil deeds, and not a single good one.

And the voice from within the gates answered:

'Sinners cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Go hence!'

Then the man said:

'Lord, I hear your voice, but cannot see your face, nor do I know your name.'

The voice answered:

'I am Peter, the Apostle.'

And the sinner replied:

'Have pity on me, Apostle Peter! Remember man's weakness, and God's mercy. Were you not a disciple of Christ? Did you not hear his teaching from his own lips, and had you not his example before you? Remember then how, when he sorrowed and was grieved in spirit, and three times asked you to keep awake and pray, you slept, because your eyes were heavy, and three times he found you sleeping. So it was with me. Remember, also, how you promised to be faithful unto death, and yet three times, you denied him, when he was taken before the High Priest Caiaphas. So it was with me. And remember, too, how when the cock crowed you went out and wept bitterly. So it is with me. You cannot refuse to let me in.'

And the voice behind the gates was silent.

Then the sinner stood a little while, and again began to knock, and to ask to be let into the kingdom of heaven.

And he heard another voice behind the gates, which said:

'Who is this man, and how did he live on earth?'

And the voice of the Accuser again repeated all the sinner's evil deeds, and not a single good one.

And the voice from behind the gates replied:

'Go away! Such sinners cannot live with us in Paradise.' Then the sinner said:

'Lord, I hear your voice, but I see you not, nor do I know your name.'

And the voice answered:

'I am David; king and prophet.'

The sinner did not despair, nor did he leave the gates of paradise, but said:

Have pity on me, King David! Remember man's weakness, and God's mercy. God loved you and exalted you among men. You had it all: a kingdom, and honour, and riches, and wives, and children; but you saw from your house-top the wife of a poor man, and sin entered into you, and you took the wife of Uriah, and you slew him with the sword of the Ammonites. You, a rich man, took from the poor man his one ewe lamb, and you killed him. I have done likewise. Remember, then, how you did repent, and how you said, "I acknowledge my transgressions: my sin is ever before me?" I have done the same. You cannot refuse to let me in.'

And the voice from within the gates was silent.

The sinner having stood a little while, began knocking again, and asked to be let into the kingdom of heaven. And a third voice was heard within the gates, saying:

'Who is this man, and how has he spent his life on earth?'

And the voice of the Accuser replied for the third time, recounting the sinner's evil deeds, and not mentioning one good deed.

And the voice within the gates said:

'Depart now! Sinners cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.'

And the sinner said:

‘Your voice I hear, but your face I see not, neither do I know your name.'

Then the voice replied:

'I am John the Divine, the beloved disciple of Christ.'

And the sinner rejoiced and said:

'Now surely I will be allowed to enter. Peter and David must let me in, because they know man's weakness and God's mercy; and you will let me in, because you have loved much. Was it not you, John the Divine, who wrote that God is Love, and that he who loves not, knows not God? And in your old age didn’t you say: "Friends, love one another." How, then, can you look on me with hatred, and drive me away? Either you must renounce what you have said, or loving me, must let me enter the kingdom of heaven.'

And the gates of Paradise opened, and John embraced the repentant sinner and took him into the kingdom of heaven.