I have sat in many services before angry with the people attending. Some have been adults, some teenagers, but the common thread is a complete disregard for what the Lord did for them…
After all, gods are just beings who watch humans. They chuckle when they trip and they sit around talking about how smart humans think they are - a conversation filled with thunderous laughter no doubt.
The uniqueness of the cross is that my God…the true, one and only, God of gods, King of kings, became man by being born to a virgin. Mary should have been stoned for being pregnant outside of marriage. Jesus really was an illegitimate child in man’s eyes. He was a carpenter. Not a religious scholar, not a prince, not a business world leader, not even above average. God became man.
He pursued sinners. He didn’t care what it looked like to be hanging out with prostitutes, drunkards, lepers, and adulterers - he came to heal the sick, not the healthy.
Are you realizing the ADACITY of this? This is ridiculous. No god would do that for mankind. Not unless He created them, loved them, and wanted to make a way for them to spend eternity with him. Wow.
To top it all off, He humbled himself and was crucified on a cross - a thief’s punishment - even though he was without sin.
So, I sat there, angry at the teenager in front of me who kept turning around and talking with her friends and laughing during the message. I wasn’t angry because of disrespect for the speaker (although that is frustrating too), I was angry because when we forget what Christ did and live complacently, we reject everything he did for us.
We reject the cross.
5 comments:
Oh my goodness. Did you write that Ryan? Wow!!! Your words are intense and true. Good for all to hear.
Yeah, I did write it. Thanks for the kind words :-) Hopefully some people are challenged by it...that is the purpose.
How true that with our lives we say one thing and with our words we send a different message. When we confess to live as Christians, accepting the cross, we are then challenged to live differently.
My dad used to say during times of frustration that 'in light of the cross, this isn't so bad'. St. Francis of Assisi put it this way, "preach the gospel at all times and when necnessary use words"
Our actions do matter and people are watching. thanks bud, I need these reminders : )
a lot of people today, and in the past, in this culture and in other cultures (especially native/indigenous cultures) laugh at our concept of Jesus. "GOD" came to earth as a man and died? What a weak and stupid thing to do.
But i say...that's the point. no other god would humble himself that much. that's the example he set for us.
on top of all that, just the mere fact that God, omnipotent as he is, allows himself to be vulnerable and feel pain. he didn't have to do that--he's God. yet he sets the example of love once again by showing that true love is complete vulnerability and allowing oneself to feel pain for the sake of another.
p.s. you rock.
Paul,
Bro...that was dead on...this is kind of personal, but there aren't many people who read this so we'll keep it between us :-)...but honestly, I just kind myself weeping when I think of how the God we serve could just strike us down when we mess up or just watch us and laugh (many people's perceptions of God), but no, he did humble himself that much, and he does love us...that is truly amazing...thanks for your comment bro!
Post a Comment