In the cult-classic movie, “Wayne’s World,” there is a scene where the two main characters, Garth and Wayne, get back stage passes to see (of all people) Alice Cooper. Sensing a truly surreal experience, when they actually have a chance to meet Alice back stage, all they can do is fall to their knees and bow ceremoniously screaming, “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”
The sharing of this information points to a number of things—one, maybe I watch too much television; and two, that there is a place in this world for humility. Wayne and Garth are pretty sure of themselves but when they come into the presence of what they think is true greatness, they are simply overwhelmed. They are humbled beyond expectation!
Jesus, in one of His teaching modes with His disciples, says some pretty hard things in this Sunday’s Gospel lesson. (see Matthew 10:24-39) At the end of this discourse, He says that if someone loves his parents or children more than Him, they are not worthy of Him. If others aren’t willing to “take up the cross” and follow Him, neither are they worthy of Him.
Yes! Those are very hard words! They sting because who doesn’t love their family, and love them very, very much? It sounds as if Jesus doesn’t appreciate nor want the competition for His love.
I’m convinced that it’s much deeper than that. It’s not that simple of a problem.
When we allow anything or anyone to displace Christ from the center of our attention, we are heading down the wrong path. Especially when we are tempted to place ourselves in a place of honor or respect, we have begun on the wrong foot.
The Church is made up of many members. Paul says this in I Corinthians 12:12: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” Paul—referring to “the body” as the Body of Christ (which represents the Church)—admits that Jesus is the head of this Body, providing all that the heart and mind of this body will ever need. He is the very nerve center of her existence.
The members of this Body are human beings. We, as humans, all sin and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Therefore, let us humbly offer ourselves to the head of the Church, Christ, as we first admit and seek His graceful forgiveness, and secondly, follow His lead as we work in the Church to share the Gospel as Christ first shared with His friends—with love and compassion.
In our daily prayers, we’re often tempted to pray for things—things that we know others need, for the world’s needs, and for our own needs. In this laundry list of needs, let us not forget to first and foremost remember our own need for forgiveness. We need it because we all are imperfect; we all fall from the grace God showers upon us; we fail miserably quite often.
We are not worthy. We are NOT worthy, not one!
But—thanks be to God that we have a God whose love is so strong that He can and does look beyond our shortcomings, weaknesses, and failures and loves us anyway. We believe and teach that once we seek forgiveness from God, it is given; we become new creations, and life begins anew.
So, instead of leading critical and often self-centered lives (remember, we ALL do this!), let us seek God first, and then see that He is more important than even those things in our lives that we often think are more important. God isn’t asking us to love our parents or children less; He simply deserves to be first in our hearts and our minds, in all our thoughts, words, and deeds. What Matthew 10:37-39 teaches is that anything less than that is heading in the wrong direction.
In all these things, simply remember: God loves you, and, so do we!
Pastor Jim