Brilliantly, Jesus names “sin” in a totally new way,
which most Christians are still largely resisting. Sin, for Jesus, is not found
in any kind of localization of evil outside or over there, where
I can point to it, punish it, and try to change it. That is too easy, and thus
it is religion’s constant temptation. Without denying sin or making light of
evil, he shows us the one way of actually overcoming it. Sin, for Jesus, is the
very act of accusing itself--whenever you try to expel and accuse evil
groups, nations, religions, or people, and somehow leave yourself out of the
equation, you end up “sinning.” It is rather shocking that Jesus is never
actually upset at sinners, as we are, but he is only upset at people who do not
think they are sinners. That is very different than almost all organized
religion in history.
Richard Rohr from Standing with Jesus
