Please Pass the Jam...

Cute. Real cute. Kind of catchy, don’t you think? I can close my eyes and picture Jesus, sitting around with his buds at what we call the “Last Supper”, pointing his finger at each one and emphasizing the words on this marquee. If I’m not mistaken, you can find this conversation in the gospel of Matthias, chapter 22, verses 14–30.

Can’t find it, uh? Wonder why? Wake up, you Nimnod, it’s because it’s not there. He never said them or anything like them. If anything, it probably sounded like this:

“Choose the bread of life for the time of your life!

Alas, we pass by these signs all the time. Turn or burn. This so misses the point. Following Jesus is not a commitment; it’s a committed life. Sometimes I wish that in order to be a Christian, you needed to certify that you have spent three years following, learning from, and emulating a master that taught you how to trust instead of what to believe. Put some skin in the game.

The entire ministry of Jesus was one of encounter. That was his mission: “Hey…you…yea, you over there, just want you to know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Interested? Come…”

And what of those that said “no”? What about the rich young ruler, or, as we read in John 6, the “many disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” Nowhere do you see Him following up with, “Well, you forced me into it, but if you don’t accept this bread of life, then you’re toast.” Did He grieve — yes. Why? Because He knew the abundant life that they were turning away from. Did He try and scare them into making a different decision — nyet, nada, no way.

Under the direction of, and with the wisdom of God, Jesus wasn’t about to make the good news grounded in fear. Start from that place, and you’re screwed. The ripple effect of that was already evident in Roman domination and Jewish fanaticism. Build a church on fear, and you are building on sand. Build it on love, and nothing can topple it.

Deciding to enter a community of faith that follows the way of Jesus is just that — a starting decision. It expresses a desire to have what the community has, which is a way of life that matters. You begin a journey that will find you repeating that initial commitment time and time again because it’s hard. It’s not about me “losing my salvation”, but about me reaffirming it over, and over, and over, as I’m transformed. I need to constantly remind myself that the truth Jesus proclaimed was to save me from my misguided self(not from God, but that’s another story…). It’s a process.

Because we are wonderfully convoluted exotic cocktails. Creations that God loves beyond our wildest imagination.

Pretty cool, if you ask me. I am learning to trust that the winsomeness of Christ is far greater than any fear-filled bridge illustration I draw for someone over coffee at Starbucks. Come, follow “Me” because you resonate with the vibration of it, not because you will be pitchforked if you don’t. So, let’s all lighten up a bit. Put down the megaphone and wipe the spittle off our faces from the red-faced frenzy we’ve worked ourselves into.

Invite, inspire, imitate and invest. Lather, rinse and repeat. I just gave you the meaning of life…