The Bungee Cord. 5/1/23
Hello,
Today’s Bungee Cord is the sermon that I preached on Good Friday, where seven pastors preached on each of Jesus’ last words. I was given these words to preach on from Luke, “ 33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus* there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ 34Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’]]” It seemed Bungee-worthy….so, here it is:
• Truly sorry by acknowledging my sins and the mess they have caused me and others.
• Truly sorry by owning up to my sins and the pain that they have brought the heart of God
• Truly sorry by turning from my sins and showing that I meant that I was sorry by not doing them again.
If you are truly sorry, God will forgive your sins.”
But today as we hear Jesus speak from the cross, I realize that I was wrong. “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” You see, today Jesus tells us that what I grew up being taught was wrong. The fact is that Jesus’ forgiveness is so deep and wide that God forgives us even for the sins for which we are not sorry.
• The grudges that we do not let go of because they are getting what they deserve.
• The number of people who don’t even know we’ve stepped on to get us where we are.
• The neglect that we have been part of because of the blinders that we wear.
• The stench we have brought to the world by words that spew from our mouths.
• The sins that we don’t think are sins.
• The sins that we don’t even know we are committing.
• The sins that we keep on doing.
The truth is that to all of our sins, the ones we are sorry for and the ones that we are not, Jesus speaks from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.
So, there it is, right from the cross. There isn’t a single thing that you can do, whether you’re sorry or not, that God, through the cross of Jesus does not forgive. And if that sounds too outrageous. Too easy. If you are saying, there must be some exception…something so vile and evil. Consider this, what sin could possibly bring more pain to the heart of God than driving nails through the hands and the feet of Jesus, and would be as painful and humiliating as killing God’s own Son? And yet, from the cross, Jesus, the one who was enduring exactly that said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
So, why, then should we worry about sin. If God is going to forgive everything, why not just live our lives any way we want? Why not grab for all the gusto in life and not worry about what that does to others? Why not live with the motto, “As long as I am happy.”?
Well, the Apostle Paul, in the 6th Chapter of Romans gives us an answer, “How can we who have died to sin keep on living in it.” You see, when you and I were Baptized, we weren’t just hit with some water and some nice things were said to us. No in the waters of Baptism, you and I were transformed. Changed. New creations. We became people who are dead to sin, as dead as all those sins which Jesus took to the grave on Good Friday, and people who are alive to God in Christ, as alive as Jesus when he walked out of the Easter tomb. Why not live recklessly in life, sinning away in the forgiveness of God? “How can you who have died to sin, keep on living in it.?”
A young boy was out playing in his backyard when he thought he saw the bark on the trunk of the tree shivering. So, he went over to the tree and took a closer look. And much to his delight when got over there , he discovered that the bark was not shivering at all, but the tree trunk was covered with caterpillars climbing up to the branches. He watched the caterpillars parade up the tree, all in step like a marching band. And then, all of the sudden, as if the drum major had blown her whistle, they broke ranks and began to scurry in all directions venturing out onto the branches. When each of the caterpillars stopped, he watched them wrap themselves in what looked to him like sleeping bags. Every morning he would go out to that tree to see what had become of his sleeping caterpillars, wondering when they would wake up. One day as he watched the caterpillars slumber in their sleeping bag, he noticed one of the sleeping bags quiver…and then another….and then another…until the tree’s branches were no longer covered with sleeping caterpillars, but now beautiful butterflies who were drying their wings in the sun. He reached up to touch one of these delicate butterflies, but when he did, as if the drum major had just blown her whistle again, they flew off in a much grander parade. Well, not all of them. He noticed that one of the butterflies still clung to the branch, holding tight as it walked back and forth. He could see it stumble as the wind caught its wings. Back and forth it walked on the branch, each trip a little slower, each trip a little more treacherous, until finally a gust of wind took hold of the worn-out butterfly and it fell to the ground. Lying there motionless. The little boy reached down and scooped the butterfly up in his hands. It seemed no different than all of its bandmates that had flown away. And so, as he looked at the tired and worn-out butterfly that could no longer even move, he said to it, “How can you a butterfly, live like a caterpillar?”
How can you who have died to sin, keep on living in it?
“Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Have a great week.
God’s Grace and Peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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