The Bungee Cord 1-3-22

Hello,

Many Christians throughout the world celebrate the visit of the Magi on January 6th, the day of Epiphany. All the way back in my first congregation in 1984, I preached on the Sunday of Epiphany, and it was such a captivating sermon that people remember it to this day!

The gist of my sermon was that although we think we know a lot about the Wisemen, in truth we know very little. We don’t know exactly where they came from, only from the east. We don’t know exactly what they did for a living, star watchers is what the Bible says, but we have dubbed them kings. We don’t know how they travelled. Maybe camels? We don’t know their names, even though they have been given names (Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar). We don’t know their race, although one is usually depicted with dark skin. We don’t know how many there were. The Bible tells us that there were three gifts given, but not the number of givers. Many number them as three, but some of Christianity number them as 12.

And here’s the thing that I said that has stuck in people’s memories for nearly 40 years. I said, “We don’t know their sexual orientation.” As newly ordained pastors are apt to be, I was not aware of the bombshell that I had just dropped by saying those words. “Pastor Jerry just said that the Wisemen were gay!” Remember that I said this back in 1984, a time when the issue of homosexuality was still treated with disdain by many people. I remember that when I was in high school and college, to be called “gay” was like wearing a scarlet letter. So, in afterthought, it isn’t surprising that my statement of the unknown sexual orientation rumbled people’s minds.

All these things about the Wisemen that I mention were meant to lead up to this sentence, the point of my sermon: “All we know is that they were welcome at Jesus’ side. After all, God led them there.” And from that sentence, I went on to say to my congregation, “And although I don’t know very many of you that well (there were 2500 people in that congregation), I can assure you of this. No matter who you are, you, too, are welcome at Jesus’ side. After all, God has led you here.”

And in this Bungee Cord, let me assert to you, the same thing. Even though I don’t know many of you really well, I am sure of this; No matter who you are, you are welcome at Jesus’ side. After all, you were led here, and I believe it is the Holy Spirit that has done that. I hope that in every Bungee Cord that I write, you hear this Epiphany truth. You are welcome at Jesus side. And I further assert this truth as I read the Bible and find out who Jesus welcomed to his side: thieving tax collectors, rich young rulers, people dealing with frightening mental illness, people with little to no faith, fishermen, people with chronic illness, members of synagogues…..on and on. Never was anyone, even those who saw Jesus as their enemy, unwelcomed at Jesus side.

There are those who would erect barriers between Jesus and some people, saying that Jesus would not want to be around “terrible” sinners. Saying that Jesus would never want to give them the impression that their sins were ok with him. I find several problems with going in that direction. First, as I read the Bible it isn’t true. Second, usually the sins or lifestyle that people regard as off putting to Jesus belong to others, and not them. And lastly, to say that Jesus goes lightly on the issue of sin is to forget that Jesus died … he died, what could be more severe…to save people from their sins.

So, after reading this Bungee Cord, I hope you won’t go viral saying that Pastor Jerry says the Wisemen were gay (although we don’t really know if they weren’t). And I hope that you won’t read into this that Pastor Jerry thinks that homosexuality is a sin (I leave that decision up to God whose passion is to forgive sin….including mine!) And I hope that you will hear from me that whatever the world knows about you, whatever you know about you there is one thing to remember: You are welcome at Jesus’ side!

Have a great week!

God’s grace and peace,

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

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