Second Lent, March 12, 2006

  And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach and green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

     And Satan created McDonald’s and McDonald’s brought forth the $3.20 double-cheeseburger and Satan said to Man, “You want fries with that?”, and Man said, “Super-size them.”  And Man gained pounds.

     And God created the healthful yogurt, that Woman might keep her figure that Man found so fair.

     And Satan froze the yogurt, and he brought forth chocolate, nuts and brightly colored sprinkle candy to put on the yogurt.  And Woman gained pounds.

     And God said, “Try my crispy fresh salad.”

     And Satan brought forth creamy dressings, bacon bits, and shredded cheese, and there was ice cream for dessert.  And Woman gained more pounds.

     And God said, “I have sent you heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them.”

     And Satan brought forth chicken-fried steaks and a blooming onion so big it needed its own platter.  And Man gained pounds and his cholesterol went through the roof.

     And God brought forth running shoes, and Man resolved to lose those extra pounds.

     And Satan brought forth cable TV with a remote control and a large lounge chair and Man did not have to move for hours on end.  And Man gained more pounds.

     And God said, “You’re running up the score, Satan.”

     And God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.

     And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them.  He created sour cream and real butter, and Man clutched his remote control, and ate the potato chips swaddled with trans fats and cholesterol.

     And Satan saw that and said, “It is good.”

     And Man went into cardiac arrest.

     And God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

     And Satan created private health insurance and Medicare Part D.

      And the battle continues even unto our own day.

      One of the reasons Jesus had to rebuke Peter was that he had his eyes on earthly things and failed to see that life requires personal discipline and sacrifice.  Our search for the magic pill that will allow us to continue enjoying all the things that are harmful and still live long lives is a fruitless attempt to avoid personal responsibility.

     Jesus also said that those who wished to become his followers had to deny themselves, take up a voluntary cross, and follow where he would lead.  Those who would strive to save their lives will lose them and those who would become indifferent to their lives will save them.

     We may be tempted to think we can make it through Lent without coming to terms with the cross.  We may even ask the question, “Is the cross a relevant symbol for effective evangelism in the 21^st century?”  We may also ask, “Is sacrifice, as a way of life, outmoded in a culture that is pretty much defined by “me” and “my?” 

     My own answer would have me conclude that sacrifice is not outmoded as long as Christianity means obedience to the mind and will of Jesus the Christ and the cross must be as relevant today, if not more so, than anytime in history.  I would have to say that if we wish to share in the work of Jesus the Christ in the world, if we want to have any fellowship with him, and live within the circle of his friends and followers, we must take up that voluntary cross, adopt the principle of sacrificial love and make it the controlling force in our lives.  Jesus very often placed that challenge in front of his disciples.  He told them they would be absurdly happy, but he also said they would be in constant trouble and that their lives would be ones of sacrifice.  He never hid his scars to win disciples.  He never masked the cost of discipleship; not then, not now.

     What if we agreed that the principle of sacrificial living is outmoded, has outlived its effectiveness as a way of life for Christians?  If we said that, we will have to rewrite much of the New Testament to suit ourselves and we will have to change many of the saying of Jesus.  The church, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail, will become not much more than a social club or organization with a catchy initiation and empty slogans.  It will not be the church of the past two thousand years.

     I believe sacrifice is not outmoded, not out of date, as long as the human heart responds to a challenge.  When ultimate issues are at stake, Christians can be counted on to be there.  It is precisely at this point that the appeal of the cross comes.  People do not respect a cheap, easy religion.  They respect a commanding, challenging religion that will take all they can give and then ask for more.  We are challenged at the point of lifestyle.  How do we live loving, caring, and giving lives in this age of affluence and self-indulgence?  How do we witness to the fact that we see the growing gap between the haves and have-nots as a greater threat to freedom than any outside force?  The cross challenges us at the point of our total commitment to Jesus the Christ; the commitment of our time, energies, money, reputation, all that we have and all that we are, for the work of God’s kingdom.

     Jesus never pretended that we can find life any other way than by losing it.  He left no doubt that only a life with the cross at its heart and center can be vitally Christian.  A life controlled by his principle of sacrificial love has a shot at exerting some influence in this world.

     God has given us many good things.  Living a disciplined life is one of those.  Being on the frontlines of the continuing struggle for the hearts and minds of people is another.  All of that must go directly through an old, rugged cross, which is simply a gate that swings open by the power of love and leads to a glorious life beyond.  Amen.