The Bungee Cord 2-12-23

Hello,

Those of you who are Facebook users may notice that sometimes church signs with “clever” quotes are posted. I find some of them amusing and deserving of a snicker, but a while ago I came across one that turned my stomach.

It said, “CHOOSE THE BREAD OF LIFE, OR YOU’LL BE TOAST.” Although some might find some humor here, not me. The reason that I don’t fund this clever or funny is because it seems to me that many people think that it is true. When I listen to many people, Christians and non-Christians, I hear them saying that they think that Christianity is based on fear. You know, If you don’t want to spend eternity in hell, you better hang onto Christ with all your might, and who knows maybe you’ll lose your grip and you’ll be toast. I have heard it said another way, “Turn or burn!”

But when I study the story of Jesus, it is clear to me that Jesus did not come scare us out of hell. There were already plenty of folks when he walked the earth quite good at doing that. Over and over again Jesus confronted the leaders of the Temple, the Scribes (spiritual lawyers), and the pharisees who told the people that if you step out of line, God is ready to turn God’s back on you. Squash you like a cockroach! Touch an unclean person, heal on the Sabbath, eat with sinners, commit adultery, speak blasphemy….all worthy of being cast into the fires of hell. They made God into what we have made Santa, “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout…..He sees you when your sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake… He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice….”

It is clear to me that Jesus did not come to walk this earth, die on a cross, arise from the dead, and ascend into heaven to scare us out of hell. Instead, it is clear to me that Jesus did all of this to love us into eternal life. And when I say “eternal life”, Jesus is not just talking about that which awaits us after we die. Eternal life takes hold of us when death has no power over us anymore. Eternal life takes hold of us when Jesus hits us with his promise in Baptism and says, “I died and rose for this one, and this one is now mine and will be forever!” Eternal life fills our lungs when the wages of sin, which the Bible acknowledges is death, have no more power over us because Jesus brought the wages of sin to death. Jesus said that he is the Good Shepherd, not the Boogie Man, who will let nothing snatch his sheep from his hand. He so loves us that he laid down his life for us. Clearly, Jesus did not come to scare us out of hell, he came to love us into eternal life.

I think a far more apt saying for a church to display on its sign would be, “Jesus, the bread of life, has chosen you, it’s time for a toast! Alleluia!”

Christians throughout the world are about to embark on a six-week trek of honest reflection on their lives, Lent. During Lent, Christians spend time listening for the voices of their failures, betrayals, and sin that so cleverly have placed their claim on them, and seeing the pain, confusion, fear, and sadness that those voices rain down upon their lives. And then when those forty days of the wilderness have led them to a Calvary Cross, they hear a different voice… a voice of love, not fear….say to all those voices who think they have their hold on us, that their hold is over, “It is finished!” And with those cross-shouted words still ringing in our ears, their comes a new word to fall upon us, a victory toast, an Easter toast of bread and wine, and Jesus is the toastmaster, “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15)

Jesus did not come to scare us out of hell. Jesus came to love us into eternal life. Alleluia!

Have a great week,

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

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