‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow’

About a week ago I saw what I thought was an interesting picture of Denali in a local newspaper. Mt. McKinley was covered with snow as it always is, but the surrounding area was brown in the picture.

Lack of snow is somewhat unusual for December in Alaska, but at that time we hadn’t had much snow yet. The lack of snow was getting reactions from people too. We usually close confirmation worship each Wednesday with our youth in a circle, holding hands and praying. Two weeks ago on Dec. 5, one student prayed for snow, and then another prayed that God would not send snow.

Hmmm, dueling prayers!

Anyway, we know what has happened since that time. It started snowing on Tuesday, Dec. 11 and continued snowing for a couple of days. Most people I know say they had about 12 inches of snow at their homes. That is a quick end to the lack of snow we’ve had so far this winter.

I actually enjoy winter. I know some who dread the dark and the cold and the snow, but to me it is another opportunity to enjoy the variety and beauty of God’s creation. I enjoy getting outdoors in the winter to ice fish, snow ski and to spend time with my family. But there is another blessing that comes with snow — a reminder of God’s forgiveness.

Maybe you also faced challenges with the wind in recent weeks. One day I put out my trash to be picked up, but the wind was blowing.

The winds swept my hat off my head. The wind blew over the trash can and almost blew me over. I picked up the trash can and tried to pick up the trash, but the wind blew the trash can over three more times, and I found ravens and other animals helping to strew the trash around our yard and the neighborhood. On Monday, I picked up everything I could find, but I know there are still items out there that the wind distributed around.

When I look out my window today I find no trash, just a pure, white blanket of snow covering the brown of the dead grass and the trash that had been scattered around.

In Isaiah 1:18 the Lord tell us, “Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

This was a picture the people of Israel could understand. Their sins and idolatries had led to God’s coming judgment, but he was offering to cover the crimson of their sin with the white of his forgiveness.

Our lives are messy with selfishness, failures and times we have rebelled against God. There is no way we can pick up the mess of our own sins on our own. But God sent his son, Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.

Jesus died to make our crimson sins white and to cover the mess in our lives with the white blanket of his love and forgiveness.

We can look at the winter landscape and see a visual example of God’s love for us: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.

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