Hello,
When God sent his
Son into the world, God did a very risky thing.
The risk that God took was not the risk that Jesus, his Son, might get
hurt. God knew that would happen. The risk that God took was not that Jesus,
his Son, might be betrayed by his closest friends. God knew that would happen. The risk that God took was not that Jesus,
his Son, might be tortured, humiliated, and even die a death of unbelievable
pain and suffering. God knew that would
happen. The risk that God took was not
the risk that Jesus, his Son, would be swallowed up in death forever. God knew that he would not.
The risk that God
took when he sent his Son into the world was this: would anyone believe it?
Would anyone
believe that anyone, let alone God Almighty, would so care about the pain of
humankind that he would knowingly sent his Son to get hurt? Would anyone believe that anyone, let alone
God Almighty, would desire the companionship of humans that he would send his
Son into a snake-pit of fickle, frail and foolish friends to be betrayed by
them? Would anyone believe that anyone,
let alone God Almighty, would value the very perpetrators of that one’s pain
and anguish that he would purposefully have his Son bear the brunt of the worst
that anyone could do to him? Would
anyone believe that anyone, let alone God Almighty, would so treasure the
collection of carbon that humans are that he would raise his Son from death so
that we might be his collection forever?
Who would believe any of that?
I suppose that it
would not be so hard to believe if God would have invested something trivial in
this risky adventure. But God did not,
God invested everything, God’s very self.
I suppose that it would not be so hard to believe if God would have played
his cards differently, investing powerfully with fire and brimstone, or legions
of angels. But God did not, God invested
with his heart. I suppose that it would
not be so hard to believe if God would have held something back, so in case it
didn’t work, God would have a second chance.
But God did not, God went all in…all in once and for all.
Although I think
it may have been more believable if God had acted in a more believable way, of
this I am certain; if God would have done anything less than God did, it would
not have done any good. Anything less,
although believable, would only have the power to scratch the surface of our
lives, and that is not what God was after.
God was not after trying to polish us up so that the world might shine a
bit better. God was not after tuning us
up so that we might better stay in line, obediently running like a fine working
machine. God was not after applause and
accolades drawn by God amazing power.
What God was
after was something far deeper. God was
after people’s hearts, hearts that would beat in rhythm with God’s very own
heart…full of hope, full of peace, full of joy, full of compassion. God gave his heart, in order that God might
have yours and mine.
That is not
easily believed. But isn’t that the way
it is with love? Love is hard to
believe. In order for love to be
believed, one must open one’s heart in love to the other…not just once, but
over and over again. There’s an Ole and
Lena joke, the ilk of which Scandinavian Lutherans tend to tell, and it goes
like this (try to hear it with a thick Norwegian accent):
Lena came up to
Ole one day with big tears in her eyes and she said to Ole, “How come you don’t
tell me that you love me?”
Ole, with Scandinavian
perplexity wrinkling his face said, “Well Lena, I told you that I loved you on
the day that I got married, and well……..I haven’t changed my mind.”
God took a big
risk when God sent his Son into the world:
would people believe that God would have such love that God would do
such a thing? Well, God is determined
that you and I believe it. God didn’t
stop telling us and showing us the risky nature of God’s love….God is doing it
over and over again….every Sunday in His Word and at His Table.
When God sent
God’s Son into the world, it was a risk that God was willing…maybe could do no
other….than take….because as hard as it is to believe, God wants our hearts now
and forever. Hope you’ll come and
experience the embrace of God’s love this Sunday!
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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