Sin-Callus

Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son. 2 Chronicles 24:22

In addition to addiction medicine, I still work in Urgent Care, where I see all manner of complaints, from head to toe. One of the common pathologies that afflicts the feet, are plantar warts – so-called because they occur on the plantar (doctor word for sole) surface of the foot. The wart, caused by the wart virus, is an invader that doesn’t belong. Once it’s established though, it’s presence creates continual friction and microtrauma that stimulates growth of a callus – hardened, dead, cross-linked skin cells. This callus acts like a shield, hiding and protecting the wart. If you look up treatment, there are a myriad of options, but none of them have a high success rate because once the plantar wart develops a callus, it’s notoriously difficult to kill.

This is a good analogy for our sin, as illustrated in today’s passage, which tells of the treachery of King Joash. As a child, Joash was saved from his murderous queen grandmother by the priest Jehoida, a godly man who led a rebellion, placing Joash on the throne. As king, Joash initially followed God, ridding the land of idol-worship. When Jehoida died though, Joash turned from God, once again worshipping idols. This angered God, who sent Jehoida’s son, Zechariah to warn Joash. Due to repeated indulgence in sin though, Joash’s heart became hardened . . . or callused. Joash’s defiance and rebellion should have melted at Zechariah’s message. He should have leapt at the mercy and grace offered to him. Instead, with a cold, dead heart, he spurned God’s mercy, ordering the execution of the priest.

When we allow sin in, it always has unintended side-effects. We mistakenly think we can sin today, ask forgiveness tomorrow, and walk away unscathed. Once we open the door though, the repeated friction and microtrauma goes to work on our spiritual life, taking something vibrant and warm, and turning it hard and cold. Then, when presented with an opportunity to repent, we double down, sticking to our sin, because we’ve become callused. Once that sin would have offended us, but now, we’re offended by the discomfort it would take to repent.

This is a dangerous place to be. This is addiction. And, like the plantar wart, it takes something traumatic to kill it. The best approach, would be to never let sin in. Once we’ve allowed it in and once we’ve become callused to it though, it’s a little late for prevention. Now, if we want to be free, we’re going to have to accept that cutting it out is going to take hard work, pain, and sacrifice.