Today's Scripture Reading (December 8, 2023): John 3
There is a
story of a pastor who had been working hard on the perfect sermon. The message
was designed for a particular Sunday service in which some dignitaries had been
invited and were expected to attend. The Pastor wanted this message to be his
best. And so, he worked hard, hoping to make it just right. Finally, he thought
he had it. It was just the right mix of elements for a great message. The sermon
started with a humorous introduction, then the reading of the text with the
appropriate level of seriousness, and finally, a brilliant exposition of the
Scripture text he had chosen to be the theme of the service. The Pastor was
sure he had found something in the scripture that no one else had seen in the
passage. He had achieved the impossible, the perfect sermon, one that he would
be proud to preach to the VIPs who would be visiting the church the following
day. And then he went to spend some time in that room; you know, that room
where we all go, so why not enjoy the go?
I have to
admit that I sometimes wonder if pastors should avoid the washroom once they
have finished their sermons. I know it is an impossible dream, but somehow, it
is amazing how often God seems to speak in the quietness of that place. And
this time was no different. The Pastor walked into the washroom, and God
immediately started talking to him about the sermon sitting in his office. And
the word that God kept repeating was KISS. Now, kissing the sermon made no
sense, and there was no reference in the sermon to Gene Simmons and his bandmates.
So, the Pastor decided that God was complementing his effort, and the word KISS
meant that the sermon was "Kept in Spiritual Splendor." But the
Pastor kept struggling with what this word might mean. And then it came to him.
KISS stood for "Keep It Simple Stupid," and the Pastor realized God
was telling him that the sermon needed a rewrite.
Making things
complex is something that we seem to do so naturally. I have heard a pastor
define religion this way; "Religion is the process whereby the things that
Jesus made simple; we make complicated." I think the Pastor is right. The
argument that reigned in the early church was, "How complicated should
faith be?" For Jesus, the Christian faith seemed to be simple. For the
rich young ruler, the question was, "How can I enter into eternal life."
And Jesus's answer wasn't complicated: Love the Lord your God, love him with
everything you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. That's it. Do you want
to live forever? Then make your life about love.
But even in
the early church, that wasn't enough. One of the early heresies of the church
was referred to as Gnosticism, the belief that salvation and knowledge were intimately
connected and that you are saved by what you know. It is a tempting heresy
because we all like to think we know something important.
As John
records Jesus's teaching, it is incredible how simple Jesus thought the
Christian faith was. If you believe, then you are not condemned. If you don't
believe, then your non-belief has condemned you. Believe with your life's
actions and the impact of your heart, loving those around you, and nothing else
is needed.
That's it.
So, what do you believe?
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 3
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