How Does the Defendant Plead?

             My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (I John 2:1)

                Advocate: one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal: one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group: one who pleads the cause of another (ADVOCATE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster)

                “And how does the defendant plead?”  

                We might plead “innocent” because what we did wasn’t wrong in our eyes, or because we didn’t know we were doing something wrong.  We might plead “guilty” but with extenuating circumstances. While we’re stammering, offering excuses, raging, or sobbing, someone steps up beside us and says, “Your Honor, the defendant pleads guilty as charged, but the penalty has already been paid and the punishment completed.”

                It’s not that we’re not guilty. We are. We’re the only ones who might argue that we’re not. The point is that someone who knows we’re guilty has been punished in our place. We’ve heard it all before, but have we thought about it recently? Have we thought about it beyond the good Sunday School response level? Have we made it personal?  

                There are four obvious reactions. The first is the worm response. We’re miserable good-for-nothing pieces of garbage that Jesus should just let someone pitch in the fire. The second is the rejection of God’s right to judge and/or Jesus’ ability to advocate for us. The third is the ego response that “I did nothing wrong” or “I deserve it.” The fourth is gratitude.  The worm seeks pity. The ego seeks control. The other two are more honest, though rejecting God’s right to judge or Jesus’ ability to advocate is an error and isn’t likely to have the outcome desired.

                Which do you find yourself doing?