I'm Just Passing Through

Pete, Delmar, and Everett were escaped convicts from a state prison in Mississippi. They were on the run, on the lamb, and they were looking for buried treasure. Everett told Pete and Delmar that if they helped him escape and dig up the treasure, they could have some

Along the way to the treasure there were close calls, tight spots, danger. They met both friend and foe,, adversary, siren, trickster. Yet, of all the moments of this grand adventure the one that always sticks with me is the freedom Pete and Delmar found in baptism. Along the way, Pete and Delmar accepted Jesus; they were submerged in grace, redeemed. Still dripping wet from their entry into eternal life they bid Everett to go down to the river. He too could be baptized. There is a preacher down there; he will baptize you. You will be free. All your sins washed away. 

              You can taste the liberty in Delmar and Pete's joy. How could this all be so simple.  Why didn't anyone tell them all their crimes, misdeeds, things they stole, all of it, could be washed away in the river.  Preacher told them they are free, forgiven, washed in the blood.  They were saved.

              Everett was a bit skeptical of this salvation, how such a transformation occurred.  As one might, he doubted the water could wash away the long history of criminal activity which was the life of Pete and Delmar.  They were not in prison by accident. But knowing the limits of what can be discussed with the recently converted he focused his critique on a legal matter.  He said, I am not sure you fellas realize the Governor of Mississippi will not look at your baptism the same way as the preacher does.

              The Cohen brother’s great movie O Brother Where Art Thou critiques American religiosity, the unique brand of Christianity in America, but it doesn't really provide a theological lens on life.  It points out the flaws but doesn't offer an alternative.             The baptism of Pete and Delmar is a great example of what many believe in America.  This is the way one becomes a Christian.  You confess faith in Jesus, pray to him; you are baptized; and then, it's all done.  You are saved. You're on your way to heaven, eternal life.    

              Now there is certainly more to it than that.  There is some follow up.  You need to live a good life, read your bible, be a church goer, do-gooder, don't drink or chew or go with girls that do.  But in essence you're in.  The seed has been cast in good soil. You've been redeemed, saved. Your ticket for the celestial train has been punched, your gown and harp await you.

              At the heart of this version of salvation is what is called the sinner's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.

In cities across America and across the world this was the invitation of Billy Graham. Preaching before 10s of thousands, Graham made clear, like the preacher in the river with Delmar and Peter, all your sins are washed away with this prayer, eternal life for the taking.  It's a gift; it's free; just believe.  Graham's revivals, his crusade, was a fusion of John 3.16, God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son and whoever believes in him inherits eternal life; Graham fused this claim with the theology of the apostle Paul, the blood of Jesus, his death and resurrection redeems us, saves us, opens eternal life unto us.  Graham fuses these and says, if you ask God into your heart, these truths will save your soul.  You are ready now to follow Jesus.

              Not to be too critical but this fusion of Billy Graham, the inheritance of eternal life of God's love and the atoning death of Jesus Christ which you simply accept with the sinner's prayer, this fusion is like a travel size kit of Christianity, it is like a sampler or TikTok theology, a meme trying to reduce thousands of years of tradition to 90 seconds. Is there truth in it?  Sure.  Is it true?  Well, as much as the Cosco sample taste of a breakfast burrito in a small white cup is a banquet.

              Whenever I am confronted with the evangelical and Pentecostal revival theology and the sinner's prayer I am unwilling to argue.  For those who carry the tracks of the foursquare gospel, who badger dying loved ones to say the sinner's prayer with them, the preacher who bids you come to the altar, come the river, the zealot who derails funerals with their testimonials, no argument could ever sway their certainty. 

              I don't argue but I am always tempted to interject as Everett did, I am not sure this theology of yours, this sinner's prayers path to salvation, is what Jesus taught, what he said to his disciples.  I am with Everett; the governor of Mississippi was not going to share the joy of Pete and Delmar's baptism.  He might be happy for them, but he was not going to pardon them like Jesus. And Jesus, well, he doesn't bid his disciples to pray to him or believe he redeems them.

              The sinner's prayer and the believer's baptism are not the only way Americans believe you are saved from sin and granted eternal life.  Roman Catholics look at this a bit differently.  Presbyterians, the Reformed, speak more about God's choice than our choice.  Pentecostals want to hear the sinner's prayer, but they also need you to speak in tongues to be a true believer and thus heaven worthy. There are others still.  But thanks to Billy Graham a lot of America believes your path to following Jesus begins and well ends with the sinner's prayer. It's done.  You're in.

              You may be in, but according to our lesson today, the sinner's prayer is not the key to following Jesus, even believing in him.  Jesus doesn't talk about sin or death or a cross.  He certainly doesn't speak of a resurrection here.  He talks about birds and foxes, burying people, farm work.  He doesn't ask anybody to pray, ever.  There is no declaration of belief, no confession of faith. There is certainly no demand for penance here or shame. 

              Jesus is different. But to be fair, he doesn't make a lot of sense.  Is Jesus saying to be a Christian, to be his follower, is to be homeless? Does Jesus not want us to care for our dead?  We are all busy.  Is Jesus saying there nothing else to do but follow him?  Again, not to be critical but I wonder if the millions who were saved with Billy Graham would have been so willing if the invitation were the words of Jesus we read today.

              Billy Graham made this very simple, very easy, no fuss no muss.  Jesus?  Not so much. 

              One way, an important way, of understanding the difference here is that Graham and evangelical Christianity are focused on heaven, getting you into heaven, securing your eternal soul.  Nothing wrong with that.  I am not opposed to a good angelic chorus.  But that is not what Jesus taught nor offered to his disciples.  Jesus, especially in Luke, is offering freedom, freedom here and now, liberty in this life not heaven. 

              The gospels don't reject eternal life, but Jesus never seems to speak of it and certainly doesn't bid his disciples to follow him as an assurance of heaven.  Following Jesus, in his teachings, is about finding liberty here.  Moreover, the liberty he offers is very specific, very particular.  He doesn't say follow me and we will be free or follow me and we won't worry or care about anything.  Just be free.  No.  He gives three very specific directions.  Directions hard to understand, even harder to live, sure, but very specific to this life, here and now.

              The best way to understand the directions of Jesus about a place to sleep, about burial, about farm work is to see what is at the heart of each.  At the heart of a place to sleep is surety, certainty, a sense of security.  At the heart of burial is ritual and rite and tradition and cultural definitions and ancient practice.  At the heart of plowing the field is purpose and work and ambition, the need to make your own way.  Jesus says, in essence, if you want to follow me you must lose certainty, you must lose tradition, and you must lose ambition.

              Before we ask if this is possible and how it is possible, we need to recognize losing certainty, losing definition, losing ambition, this is the stuff of tragedy.  Painful events cause us to lose trust life is good, having everything we thought was up come down, well, that is devastating, and losing drive, losing purpose and direction, that sounds like clinical depression. So why would Jesus say this, make this the way we are to follow him?  How is this what it means to be a Christian? Doesn't sound very good.  I'm thinking that simple prayer for heaven sounds better.

              In Matthew and Mark, when Jesus began teaching people about the kingdom of God and the earth and freedom he spoke of foxes and birds; in Galilee he spoke of the dead burying the dead.  In the Gospel of Luke when Jesus began teaching people about the kingdom of God and the earth and freedom he spoke of foxes and birds; in Samaria he spoke of the dead burying the dead; and he added, don't look back, don't seek to determine your life. He made clear to those who would follow him that they would lose certainty if they followed him; they would lose the definitions passed down for centuries; they would lose their way. 

              Again, it sounds terrible if this is it.  No certainty, no definitions, no ambition.  Not a good life.  If this is it, it's not good.  But remember what Jesus taught was if you lose your life, you will gain it; if you die your will live; if you want to be first you must be last. So you lose certainty to gain trust; you lose tradition to gain freedom; you lose ambition to gain compassion.  There is a gain to the loss. 

              This is what Jesus taught.  It's not easy.  It's not a simple prayer or a confession you make to satisfy others.  It's not about heaven or the life to come.  Jesus spoke and speaks to those who seek faith and hope and love and liberty today. 

              Jesus proclaimed the good news, you can free, you can find liberty here and now. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.  Someday far off after Jesus returns the meek get the earth?  That's part of the apocalyptic teachings of the evangelicals.  It's not what Jesus said. He said, the kingdom of God is here and now. It's at hand; the Kingdom of God is near you.

              Far be it from me to challenge or contradict the millions of souls who prayed the sinner's prayer.  Asking Jesus to live in your heart, to forgive you, to guide you.  No stones to cast.  Giving people hope that God's love offers eternal life to those who seek such rest and peace.  Heaven is not a bad way to go.  But if we are to follow Jesus here and now, if he is the risen living Lord who frees us from sin and death, then we must lose certainty to gain trust, we must lose tradition to gain freedom, we must lose ambition to gain compassion.  Amen.