Scandalous Gospel

Define Scandalous:

Disgraceful; shameful or shocking; improper
Dictionary.com

Making people shocked and upset
Oxford Cambridge dictionary

 

In a world filled with religions there are so many rules like;

  • Don’t eat this, don’t do that, say this prayer, read this holy book
  • Make this pilgrimage, observe this holiday, fast from this or that
  • You must be ashamed of yourself and pay penance for your sins
  • Follow what the holy man says, he understands how this stuff works
  • Do not question the system

After all, God sits on the throne in heaven with a bucket of lightning bolts, just waiting to execute judgement on you when you mess up.  He’s been angry with the sinful world ever since Eve gave Adam that apple to eat.

That’s not what Jesus talked about as he walked the hills and valleys of Israel and taught the multitudes sitting on the hillsides and seashore. He ridiculed the whole idea of religion and its impossible requirements to attain favor from the Holy One.  Works, works, works, endless futile works to acquire enough brownie points to make the grade and somehow “make it into heaven”.

The paths of religion are as many and varied as man’s imagination, but all end in the same frustration.  We just can’t be good enough, even though we try so hard.  We even compare ourselves to others who are “more evil” than us to prove that we will get a pass and make it past those pearly gates.

The scandal is that Jesus came to tell us that we don’t have to try to be good enough, because He knows its not possible.  Through His overwhelming love for us He has already made us “good enough”.  He took all our sins and evil into Himself on the cross and carried them away as far as the east is from the west.

The Gospel flies in the face of all religion.  Jesus shatters all the assumptions man has made in his quest for God.  This is the scandalous nature of the Gospel. It makes no sense to the Religious mind. It makes no sense to the Rational mind. It’s nonsense to the scientific mind. But the mind blowing truth is, Jesus and what He said. Many find it too good to possibly be true but, but wouldn’t an all loving Father God “break all the rules” to redeem the children He loves!

Discovery

There’s nothing quite like the joy of discovery in the face of an infant.  The whole of God’s creation is set before his eyes for wondrous delight.  How much should we be like that child as we dig into the beauty that is Yahweh?  For that little one everything is brand new, bright and shiny,  everyone he meets is a new friend.  Every window a new portal of delight. Every face reflects another facet of Papa God.

What must we do to keep that wide eyed wonder of discovery going?  Dig in deeper every day to your relationship with Jesus.  Spend the time with Him in the heavenly realms walking with Him in the cool of the day, resting with Him in green pastures.  We are like Him capable of living in the terrestrial (physical) World and in the Spirit (heavenly) world at the same time.  As He is so are we in this world.

Having simultaneous access to heaven and earth gives us limitless capability to discover not only in the sweet by and by after we die, but even now as we walk in the spirit with Him.  We are not limited to this physical realm or what our minds can comprehend.  We like that infant will experience the unbridled wonder of discovering the limitless beauty of our Lord and His eternity.