And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land. 2 Chronicles 26:21
I am a natural optimist. Some people continually think only of the sky-is-falling, worst-case scenario. Not me. An upbringing filled with a steady diet of God’s grace, coupled with a natural sense of hopefulness, has led me to believe that no matter how badly I fail, it can always be fixed. I do genuinely believe that God is more than able to transform even my worst messes, making something beautiful from them . . . eventually. That however doesn’t change the truth of today’s passage – My failures hurt me and my loved ones, and some relationships can be damaged or even broken permanently.
In today’s tragic passage, an overconfident Uzziah entered the temple, daring to offer his own sacrifice – a duty that was restricted to official priests. His arrogance offended God, and, as Azariah and the other priests confronted Uzziah, he was struck with leprosy. This blight caused him to lose everything – his kingdom, his friends, and his family – as he was permanently cast out from society, living out his days in isolation. Brimming with optimism, I’m sure Uzziah didn’t think things through that fateful day. He just did what he wanted . . . and he paid a price that haunted him until the day of his death. I’m sure that if Uzziah repented and asked forgiveness, God forgave him, but some failures leave permanent scars that cannot undone in this life.
Generally, my blogs reflect my personality and I’m prone to write more often of God’s grace, mercy, and goodness. And again, I do believe that God can redeem any disaster, making something beautiful from my mess. It would be disingenuous and downright dishonest though, to fail to also recognize that my sin can have terrible consequences, some of which may never be undone. What my tomorrow looks like, depends on those choices I make every today. Today then, I must soberly consider the gravity of my choices and remember the painful lesson of Uzziah. Some consequences cannot be undone.