SIGNS
THE PHARISEES CAME
TO JESUS
TO TELL HIM
THAT HEROD THE RULER
WANTED TO KILL HIM
THEY DID THIS FOR TWO REASONS.
FIRST JESUS WAS PREACHING IN GALILEE
WHERE HEROD WAS RULER
AND HE WAS ATTRACTING CROWDS
WITH HIS TEACHINGS
AND HIS TEACHINGS
WERE THREATENING
THE PRIVILEGED POSITION
OF THE PHARISEES
SO THEY WOULD LIKE HIM
TO GO ELSEWHERE
TO GO ANYWHERE AND PREACH
BUT LEAVE THEM ALONE.
SECOND THEY HOPED
THAT JESUS WOULD GO TO JERUSALEM
AND GET CAUGHT UP
IN THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE
THAT WAS RAMPANT IN THE CITY
AND AS A RESULT
THE ROMANS WOULD KILL HIM.
THE HEROD
THE PHARISEES WERE TALKING ABOUT
WAS THE SAME HEROD
THAT HAD PUT
JOHN THE BAPTIST TO DEATH
SO THE THREAT OF DEATH WAS VERY REAL.
BUT JESUS ANSWERS
TELL THAT FOX
THAT I WILL CAST OUT DEMONS
AND WILL HEAL PEOPLE
TODAY,
TOMORROW
AND ON THE THIRD DAY
WHICH IS THE HEBREW WAY
OF SAYING
I WILL STAY HERE
UNTIL I ACCOMPLISH MY PURPOSE.
IT IS ALMOST AN ECHO
OF LUTHER
SAYING HERE I STAND
I CANNOT BE ELSEWHERE.
WHAT JESUS
IS SAYING TO HEROD
AND TO ALL THE HERODS
OF THE WORLD
HERE I STAND
TO BRING SALVATION
YOU CANNOT CHASE ME AWAY.
HERE I STAND
LIKE A SIGN.
POINTING THE WAY
LET ME TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT SIGNS
A WOMAN DRIVES HER CAR
ALONG THE HIGHWAY
SHE SEES THE MANY SIGNS
THAT EDGE OUR ROADS,
SCHOOL AHEAD
GO SLOW,
THE NEXT CITY - WEST OSSIPEE
THE MILEAGE, 12 MILES
LITTLE CAESAR'S PIZZA-PIZZA
SHE SEES WASH
HANGING ON THE LINE,
SHE SEES OTHER CARS IN FRONT
OR IN THE CAR MIRROR
OCCASIONALLY
WHEN THE LIGHT IS RIGHT
SHE SEES
HER OWN FACE
REFLECTED IN THE WINDSHIELD
SHE IS DRIVING BY A CLIFF,
SET BACK FROM THE ROAD.
IT IS A STEEP CLIFF.
SO STEEP
THAT WHEN SHE SEES THE SIGN,
SHE WONDERS
HOW ANYONE COULD CLIMB
THE CLIFF'S FACE
AND PUT IT THERE.
THE SIGN SAYS
JESUS SAVES
WRITTEN IN LARGE CLUMSY LETTERS
WITH WHITE PAINT,
THAT TRICKLES DOWN
FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LETTERS
AS IF THE LETTERS
WERE FALLING APART
OR MELTING
OR MAYBE CRYING
THE SIGN SAYS
JESUS SAVES
THAT'S ALL
ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER SIGNS
OF THE HIGHWAY,
LIKE RIGHT TURN ONLY,
TOLL BOOTH AHEAD,
THE SPEED LIMIT
AND DESTINATIONS,
ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER SIGNS
WAS THIS SIGN JESUS SAVES
AND THE WOMAN
LIKE MOST OF US
FELT AWKWARD WITH THE SIGN,
FELT AN INTERNAL SQUIRM
AT THE MESSAGE
EVEN THOUGH
LIKE MOST OF US
SHE KNEW IT TO BE TRUE,
SHE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SIGN
AND ITS' PUBLIC MESSAGE
LIKE SAYING GRACE IN PUBLIC
GOD ONLY KNOWS
WHAT KIND OF PERSON
MUST HAVE CLIMBED UP THERE,
WITH A BUCKET
AND A BRUSH
TO SPLASH THE MESSAGE ON THE CLIFF:
MAYBE MAN
MAYBE WOMAN,
MAYBE YOUNG OR OLD,
DRUNK OR SOBER,
IN DAYLIGHT OR IN THE DARK
GOD ONLY KNOWS
WHAT DROVE THE PAINTER
TO PAINT THIS SIGN;
SIN OR REDEMPTION,
JOY OR REMORSE,
POSSIBLY A DARE,
POSSIBLY A PRAYER
WHAT EVER THE REASON,
IN OUR STRANGE TIMES,
AMONG PEOPLE LIKE US
AMONG PEOPLE JUST LIKE US,
AMONG US,
THE EFFECT
0F THE MESSAGE ON THE HILLSIDE
THAT "JESUS SAVES"
MAKES US SQUIRM.
AND I THINK
WE SQUIRM
BECAUSE WE ARE EMBARRASSED
AND WE ARE EMBARRASSED
FOR MANY REASONS
EMBARRASSED
PERHAPS
BECAUSE THE WORDS
REMIND US OF OLD TIME RELIGION,
OF SHOUT AND HOLLER,
OF PULPIT POUNDING,
OF GOD'S GONNA GET YOU,
.
WE SQUIRM
BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING
IN THE NAME JESUS ITSELF
THAT EMBARRASSES US
WHEN IT STANDS NAKED
AND ALONE
JUST JESUS
BY ITSELF
WITHOUT A TITLE
LIKE A FRIEND'S NAME.
IT MAKES US UNCOMFORTABLE.
WE WOULD ACCEPT
CHRIST SAVES
THAT'S HIS JOB.
BUT JESUS SAVES
AS IN JESUS SAVES FRANK
OR BARBARA OR ALICE
OR JOE OR FRED OR WADE
OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS,
IS LIKE A LOVER
CARVING HIS AND HIS LOVED ONE'S NAME
ON A TREE
IT HAS AN AIR ABOUT IT
LIKE A LOVE SONG.
MAYBE JESUS SAVES
WRITTEN ON THE CLIFF
IS EMBARRASSING
BECAUSE RELIGION
IN SOME WAYS
HAS BECOME EMBARRASSING
MAYBE OUR WINCING
IS A WAY
TO HIDE OUR EYES
TO STOP UP OUR EARS,
BECAUSE WE SOMEHOW KNOW
THAT IF THE MESSAGE GOT THROUGH,
IT WOULD SAY DIRECTLY,
CLEARLY,
UNMISTAKABLY
FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE
THAT WE,
YOU AND I,
NEED TO BE SAVED
RICH MAN, POOR MAN,
YOUNG WOMAN, OLD WOMAN,
EDUCATED,
UNLETTERED,
RELIGIOUS, UNRELIGIOUS,
ALL OF US,
YOU AND I,
ALL OF US,
NEED TO BE SAVED.
AND THAT
IS OFFENSIVE. TO US
FOR WHAT IT SAYS
IS
YOU HAVE NO PEACE
WITHIN YOUR SKIN-
YOU ARE NOT HAPPY,
YOU ARE NOT WHOLE
OUR HUMANITY
REACTS AGAINST THE THOUGHT,
OUR SELF SUFFICIENT HUMANITY
WHICH CONTINUALLY
WANTS THE APPLE
MORE THAN IT WANTS THE GARDEN,
REACTS
AGAINST THE THOUGHT
WHAT FOOL
WOULD CLIMB THAT CLIFF
TO WRITE A MESSAGE
THAT OFFENDS ME.
WHAT FOOL DARES
TO GIVE ME SUCH ADVICE
WHAT FOOL DARES
TO QUESTION
MY SELF-SUFFICIENCY
IF YOU HAD SAID
GOD SAVES,
I COULD ARGUE WITH GOD.
BUT YOU SAID
JESUS
AS IF TO SAY
FRIEND
AND I SEE THAT FRIEND
FOR WHAT THE WORLD
HAS MADE HIM,
A FOOL
DESPISED AND REJECTED,
A LAUGHING STOCK AMONG THE NATIONS,
WITH HIS RIDICULOUS SLOGAN
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
AND I AM
EMBARRASSED BY HIM
AND THE SIGN ON THE CLIFF
THE BAD THIEF,
THE ONE ON THE LEFT
SAID IN A TAUNT
IF YOU ARE THE CHRIST
SAVE YOURSELF
AND SAVE US
HOW LIKE HIM WE ARE,
WHEN OUR LIFE'S ACTIONS
HANG US ON THE LEFT CROSS,
WE CRY
SAVE YOURSELF
AND SAVE US
OH, WE ARE NOT SORRY FOR YOUR PAIN.
BECAUSE WE DO NOT ALWAYS NEED YOU,
ONLY WHEN ALL THE APPLES,
WE HAVE EATEN FROM THE TREE
MAKE US SICK
THEN WE NEED YOU
SAVE US, SAVE US
ME MORE THAN YOU
SAVE US.
BUT THE GOOD THIEF,
THE ONE ON THE RIGHT,
REBUKED THE BAD THIEF
FOR HIS ARROGANCE,
THEN SPOKE
WITH ALMOST THE SAME ARROGANCE,
JESUS, REMEMBER ME
WHEN YOU COME IN TO YOUR KINGDOM
TWO ARROGANT PETITIONS
BUT FROM DIFFERENT HEARTS,
ONE SPOKEN IN ANGER,
ONE SPOKEN IN TRUST
AND HOPE
AND TO THE TRUSTING,
HOPEFUL HEART
HE SAID
TRULY,
TODAY
YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE
I WONDER
WHAT THE GUARDS THOUGHT
WHEN THEY HEARD THIS CONVERSATION
DID IT INTERRUPT THEIR DICE GAME,
WERE THEY PERHAPS EMBARRASSED
BY THE GOODNESS
OF THE MAN THEY WERE KILLING
OR DID THEY THINK
THAT THE PAIN
OF THEIR TORTURE
HAD ROBBED HIS MIND OF REASON
HOW COULD THAT ONE
SAVE ANYONE,
NAILED TO THE TREE
WITH GOOD STOUT NAILS
WITH THE SIGN ABOVE HIS HEAD
WHICH MOCKED HIM AS KING
THEY'D BEEN WITH HIM,
WHEN THEY'D WHIPPED
AND CROWNED HIM,
AND THEY HAD HEARD
NEITHER CURSE NOR WHIMPER.
NO KING HE,
A LAMB MAYBE,
QUIET IN HIS SLAUGHTER,
BUT NO KING
HOW RIDICULOUS A DEATH,
DYING ON A HILLSIDE
LIKE A NAME
PAINTED ON A CLIFF-
HOW RIDICULOUS A DEATH,
DYING ON A HILLSIDE
LIKE A NAME
CARVED ON A TREE BY LOVERS,
AND IN THIS NAME
THE NAME OF JESUS
WE ARE EMBARRASSED.
WHY?
PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE
WE THINK
THAT WE ARE UNLOVABLE
WE DO NOT DOUBT
THAT GOD CAN SAVE US,
BUT WE DO DOUBT
THAT SOMEONE COULD LOVE US
SO MUCH
AS TO DIE FOR US-
TO DIE FOR US
NOT FOOLISHLY,
BUT FULLY KNOWING
OUR UNWORTHINESS
AND STILL WANTING TO SAVE US
I SUSPECT
THAT THE REAL REASON
WHY THE NAME
JESUS'
MAY EMBARRASS US
WHEN IT STANDS NAKED BY ITSELF,
IS THAT IT PUTS US
ON A FIRST NAME BASIS
IT REMINDS US
OF OUR OWN NEED FOR SALVATION,
OUR OWN NAKEDNESS,
OUR OWN NAMES
FOR JESUS HAS COME
TO SAVE D-GUY,
SAVE JJ AND PAULA,
SAVE THERESA,
SAVE MARY,
SAVE KAREN AND PETER,
SAVE MARCIA,
SAVE ALL OF US-
NOT FOR OUR JOBS,
NOT FOR OUR TITLES,
NOT FOR OUR TITHING,
NOT BECAUSE WE ARE RETIRED
OR WORKING,
MARRIED,
SINGLE OR DIVORCED.
NOT FOR ANY REASON
EXCEPT HE LOVES US
HE MADE US.
WE ARE THE WORK OF HIS HANDS
AND GOD DOESN'T MAKE JUNK.
HE LOVES US.
END OF SENTENCE
HE LOVES
US
THE MESSAGE ON THE CLIFFSIDE
CALLS US BY NAME,
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬CALLS ALL OF US, BY NAME
IT SAYS
UNCOVER YOUR EYES,
OPEN YOUR EARS,
I BRING TRUTH AND HOPE
FOR ALL THE NEEDING-TO-BE FILLED
PLACES IN YOUR LIVES.
BE LIKE THE GOOD THIEF
AND KNOW THE PAIN OF SURRENDER,
THE PAIN OF KNOWING
THE HELPLESSNESS
OF TRYING TO HELP YOURSELF
CALL ON ME,
CALL ON ME,
LIKE THE GOOD THIEF
CALL ON ME
SAYING
JESUS, REMEMBER ME,
WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM
REMEMBER ME,
REMEMBER ME,
REMEMBER ME.
EVEN THOUGH I DON'T ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU'
JESUS SAYS "I WILL".
AND WHETHER IT SEEMS PREPOSTEROUS
IN OUR JUDGMENT
OR EMBARRASSING,
THE SAME GOD
THAT SAVED THIEVES
HANGING JUSTLY ON THE CROSS,
ALSO SAVES CLOWNS LIKE YOU
AND ME,
NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASON,
THAN THAT HE LOVES US.
SO WHEN
THE PHARISEES SAY TO HIM
LEAVE NOW
BEFORE THEY KILL YOU
HE REPLIES
I WILL STAY FAITHFUL
TO MY TASK
TODAY
TOMORROW
AND THE DAY AFTER
WHICH MEANS
ALWAYS
FURTHER
JESUS SAYS
COME TO MY SHOP
WHERE THERE IS A SIGN
THAT SAYS
JESUS
CARPENTER
MAKER OF EASY YOKES
WE MAKE YOUR BURDEN LIGHT.
COME IN
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY
LET ME PROVE IT.
AND AS WE ENTER
WE CATCH OUR IMAGE
IN THE WINDOW
OF HIS SHOP
AND WE ALSO SEE
THE REFLECTION OF THE CLIFF
WITH THE SIGN
JESUS SAVES
AND WE KNOW THE MESSAGE
IS PERSONAL AND FOR US.
AMEN
FRANK A VOLLMER
