Signs

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