Lost in Space

 Did you ever wonder how much would be different, if Jesus came in the twenty-first century, instead of the first century? What do you think Jesus would be driving from one sermon location to the next, a Jeep, Corvette, or maybe a Cadillac, whatever it would be, it certainly wouldn’t be a donkey! When He visited places of worship would He prefer, traditional, contemporary, or would He be a blended sort of guy? When He read from the Scriptures, what version would He use, the Septuagint of His day, or maybe King James, or the New American Standard? This may all sound foolish, but it is worth considering, for Jesus could have come just as easily in our generation, as he did the one He appeared in.

One of the problems we are facing in every culture and generation after the advent of Christ, is the struggle to preserve the past for some reason. Jesus came to earth and established the Church at a time, where none, and I mean none, of the things we think are sacred today existed. There were no hymnbooks, no styles of music, no translations into English to argue over, no denominations, or anything else we try to defend today. This is significant, because it suggests in the bigger picture they do not have the weight we are assigning to them. The very fact that if Jesus came of a virgin last week, everything would be radically different than we perceive it today, should tell us, we need to be careful what we consider sacred.

The only thing that would not be different, if Jesus were on the streets of our cities today, would be the message of the Gospel. Jesus would still be proclaiming the sinfulness of men, and the need for repentance. He still would be in the world to die for the sins of mankind, to satisfy the righteousness of the Father. The means of His execution may be different, but it would still come from the hate in men’s hearts towards Him, because of the message and the truth by which He would speak. The truth is, that if Jesus had come this year, instead of two thousand years ago, for Him, nothing would have changed at all.

The importance of this for us is simple, we are trying to preserve and hold on to many things, which do not matter at all! The things we are trying to preserve from the past, are not really the past, they are our present, but far removed from the moment in time when Jesus walked upon the earth. The only thing we must hold on to, the only thing that is truly sacred, is the message He brought us, and the life He gave to save us.

Next time you consider fighting over music, a version of the Bible, or a style of worship, just ask yourself, what would things be like if Jesus had still not yet come. In addition, before you let your church close its doors, because you feel the old way is better, consider that what you are defending, you created, and it’s not ancient at all, but rather a modern interpretation, you have made sacred. The fruit of the Gospel is transformed lives and that is all that matters. It is the message not the music, it the truth, not the translation, it is the heart set on the Lord, not the style of worship. As Jesus said, be careful, that you do not strain at gnats, and swallow camels, instead!

Rev. Joel M McDuffie Jr.

2/19/2018