Topic: "Jebus", when we make Jesus into our own image
Speaker: Rev Dr Michael Frost
Scripture: Colossians 1:24-27
There is an episode of the Simpsons where Homer became a
missionary: Homer accidentally created his own religion called “Jebus” in Microasia. He
teaches the people to: gamble, drink beer, eat fatty food.
This is a good example of what happens when we make Jesus
into our own image. When the Belgians went into the Congo and turned the whole
place into a concentration camp: They cut off these people’s hands if they
don’t deliver goods and at the same time they make them listen to the gospel
every Sunday.
If you get Jesus wrong, it’s a big deal! Colossians is about
“Please don’t get Jesus wrong!”
Paul was like a fire hydrant in Chapter 1, pouring out all
the truth about Jesus.
V24: Explaining why he’s telling the Colossians all that.
Pagan gods in the worldview of people in the context of the
Colossians: Apollo send out elemental forces to keep the world working. They
can turn the tap off on the elemental forces anytime they feel cranky with you.
There is a God who is in control of all things who sent his
only Son. The Colossians were being invited into this worldview. This God is
your Father and not scary.
They are coming to Jesus but still think there’s a big scary
god… like Apollo. They’re not sure if they believe the grace of God is there…
They put Jesus at the edge of their cosmic view. And out came Paul’s Colossians
Chapter 1. Jesus is the centre and the whole edge of the universe. If you add
Jesus onto your existing cosmology, you will get Jebus.
Jesus pays the penalty for most of your sins? Paul believes
that Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins.
What Paul is saying is something like this: “A great mystery
has occurred in Jerusalem, God has sent his son as atoning sacrifice… now you
can be friends with God… How could you Colossians have heard about this, if it
wasn’t that we apostles suffered to bring this message to you? This is no small
matter to me. Why do you think I am going through this suffering?”
Speaking like a mother wanting to
protect this faith: “I suffered so that you may be born and grow… I contended
for you… I fought/spoke for you/ protect you.”
Mothering is ferocious. Mike had a type of possum cage trap
on his rooftop that has a one way gate which allows the possums to pass through
in one direction, but stop the possum from returning again. One night the roof
was full of noises like there is serial killing going on. The next day the pest
control person saw that it was a pregnant possum which gave birth and left the
cage to find food but couldn’t get back through the one way gate to her babies
so she clawed through metal bars of the cage!
Protecting this faith so you will not be victim to the
deceiving voices around you. So if some horrible elemental disasters happen
such as the rivers drying off, it’s not because “you believe in Jesus”.
Fight so that you ensure they get Jesus right. True Christian
leadership fights for the truth, for the lambs under your care.
Personal thoughts:
Coincidentally I just watched a video lecture given by Dr
Scott Moreau on “Imagining Christ in Today’s World”… Something to think about!
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