“Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.”
John F Kennedy used this phrase or one very similar to it in his “Bay of Pigs†address; thus, have many been content to attribute it to him. He did not, however, originate the quote. He borrowed it from a Fascist, no less.
I think, maybe, when we consider sin and failure as orphans, it is appropriate that Mussolini’s son-in-law and the Italian Foreign Minister, Galeazzo Ciano first penned it. Despite being an ardent fascist and squarely on the wrong side of history at the worst possible time in history, he was a reflective man who kept a diary, which provides insight into the inner workings of a wayward soul bent on self-defense and justification.
“Failure is an orphan.â€
King David’s orphan
King David of Israel is one of the most successful and accomplished leaders in history. Succeeding Saul, who literally stood head and shoulders above his countrymen, David amassed such an admiring following that the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.â€
David’s lowest point was his sin in taking another man’s wife for his own, orchestrating the battlefield death of the woman’s husband, and covering his tracks as carefully as he could. It took a story from a prophet we would not know if it were not for David’s sin to shake the good king from the stupor of sin so he could see himself for what he was…
So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.â€
David was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,†he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.â€
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.
“This is what the LORD says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.â€
2 Samuel 12:1-12 (New Living Translation, the Holy Bible)
Ciano found no one in Italy, including himself, anxious to own their failures in the war that shook the world and decimated their nation. Failure is an orphan. Sin is failure. King David, who was often humble and deflective of praise, found it even harder to look honestly at himself at his worst moment – and own it. He would have passed judgment on a successful sheep farmer for abusing his poor neighbor and demanded retribution, all the while pretending he had no such sin in his own life. But Nathan – and God (and now all of the world) – knew better.
Thou art the man! It is you, David. You! Own it.
So, he did…
Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.a
5For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6But you desire honesty from the womb,b
teaching me wisdom even there.
7Purify me from my sins,c and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spiritd from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
13Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
14Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
15Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.
16You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
17The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Psalm 51_ 1-17 (NLT)
Orphans everywhere
We are so willing to accept praise for our accomplishments, our talents, our skills, our gifts, all of which are gifted to us by God, to whom all praise belongs. But our failures, our sins…?
Own them. Confess them. Forsake them. Seek His forgiveness, yes, but His grace even more. Be restored. Let Him lift you up and set you on a path to even greater things. Who knows but that God has a Solomon in your future?
On this Easter week, let me remind you of the difference between Jesus and religion…
Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completelyd those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.
Hebrews 7:23-27, Berean Study Bible
If I make my sin an orphan, I make myself an orphan. If I own it, confess it, forsake it, I find it a home – beneath the blood of Jesus, and find myself in the loving arms of a Holy Father. And so I sing…
I will sing of my Redeemer
and his wondrous love to me;
on the cruel cross he suffered,
from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood he purchased me;
on the cross he sealed my pardon,
paid the debt, and made me free.2I will tell the wondrous story,
how my lost estate to save,
in his boundless love and mercy,
he the ransom freely gave.
I will praise my dear Redeemer,
his triumphant power I’ll tell:
how the victory he gives me
over sin and death and hell.3I will sing of my Redeemer
and his heavenly love for me;
he from death to life has brought me,
Son of God, with him to be.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood he purchased me;
on the cross he sealed my pardon,
paid the debt, and made me free.
The orphan family
…those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be firstborn among many brothers.
Hebrews 8:29 (BSB)
Look at that! Jesus for a brother. His Father, my Father. All because I owned my sin and he said, “No. Give it to me. I will take care of it.â€
I owned my sin. He owned me. He said, “Father, this guy? He’s my brother. Accept him, like you do me.â€
The orphanage is empty. I am redeemed.
Happy Easter! He is risen. He is risen, indeed.