He was going on a journey. It was not an ambiguous or wandering journey. It was not a journey with no end in sight. It was a journey of certainty, of purpose. A journey with an ending that was sure, an ending that was difficult.
He tired to tell them. He said it all quite openly, even though he knew it would not be easy for them to hear. He had done all that he could to prepare them for what He would say-what He had to say. And yet they would not listen. They closed their ears and their eyes and their hearts. They dug in their heels and argued with all the old arguments-the ones that they used before they knew Him.
They refused to hear that He was going on a journey, for they knew that it was the truth. A truth they didn't want to hear. And, they knew that they were going with him.
It was difficult for them to understand, to hear all of what he said. All they could hear was suffering, rejection and death. By the time hHe said that he would rise again they had shut down-unable to bear any more. Shock-disbelief-pain. That was all that they could feel. They missed the other feeling-the feeling of glory that comes from resurrection. They missed the purpose of the journey.
If they would have been able to listen to the end, perhaps they would have rejoiced instead of rebuked. Perhaps they would have embraced instead of turned away. Perhaps they would have caught a glimpse of the purpose of the journey.
This was the journey He had been called to take. He was obedient. And more than that, He longed to take the journey, for He longed to give them the gift of life. Life that would last forever. Life that would secure their future-the same way that the Father had done so many years ago with Abram and Sarai. He wanted to give them what they would need for eternity-for their children's children and for all generations that would follow.
And, He wanted it to be free. No cost. No trade. No bribes. No loans. Just free. The greatest gift-a right relationship with the one who made them. They would be justified and they would live forever with their God. That was the purpose of the journey. Doing something for them that they could not do for themselves. He knew where He was going and He wanted them to go forward with Him. If only they would listen.
With Jesus' death and resurrection, the price was paid for our sins. Our salvation was paid for. There is no cost to us. We do not have to incur any debt or take out a loan or hope that we do enough good things to live forever with our God. Jesus has taken care of it all.
The idea of getting something for nothing is not an easy one for human beings to grasp. It is especially difficult to accept when the gift is so large. Our suspicious nature takes over and we wonder why in the world we would get something for nothing. We tend to shake our heads in disbelief-mumbling under our breath "This is too good to be true," and "There must be a catch." "Why are you doing this for me?" is a question that often follows when the offer is repeated over and over.
Those words were spoken more than once in the movie Pay It Forward. The movie is about a boy, Trevor, in Junior High School who takes the extra credit assignment given by his social studies teacher very seriously. "Think of an idea that will change the world," the teacher writes upon the board.
And so Trevor did. He thought and he thought. And an idea came to him. It looked like this: It all begins with one person. That one person reaches out to three other people. He or she gives them something that they need. It has to be something big. And it can't be something that they can do for themselves. It must be something that they really need help with. There is no cost for doing the thing that the person needs. It is free. All that you ask is that they Pay It Forward to three other people. Give three people something that they need and can't do for themselves. Soon the three will be nine, the nine will be twenty-seven and so on. According to Trevor's plan, it's not very long until thousands of people and then millions are participating-doing good for others and then passing it on-paying it forward. An idea that truly changes the world.
This is what Jesus has done for us. He has paid it forward. Before we have repented, before we have turned in His direction, before we have taken up our cross and agreed to go forward, He has done it-all that we need for a right relationship with our God-all that we need for eternal salvation.
Like the assignment given to Trevor in Pay It Forward, Jesus has changed the world, all because of the journey that He took. The journey through suffering, rejection and death. The journey that ended in resurrection.
He invites us to believe that, before we have done anything, He has paid it forward and given us a gift that is free. He encourages us to see the world as a place that is changed because we have been given the gift of eternal life. He urges us to join Him on the journey. He asks us to take up our cross and go forward. May we accept His invitation and follow where He leads. Amen.
Peace,
Rev. Cynthia Bacon
Minister
You may email at:
cbacon@heritagemadison.org
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This page was last updated on March 17, 2003.