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My Two Cents
by Rev Chuck Behrens
February, 2012
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The image of a burning
candle on an iPad. That's actually the way that many people paid tribute
and honored Steve Jobs' death and life. How appropriate. I mean, he was
that inventive genius; the innovative marketer who brought the
communications revolution from the "geekosphere" to something you could
hold in your hand.
Bill Gates described Steve Jobs' impact as "profound." News anchors were
quick to say he "changed the world." And yes, he did. He was always a
newsmaker when he walked on that Apple stage to introduce technology's
"what's next?"
But now with Steve Jobs' passing, I find myself asking "what's next?" on a
much deeper level. What's next on the other side of our last heartbeat,
when the obituaries and the tributes are for us?
Speaking at a Stanford University commencement, Steve Jobs said, "Death is
the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it." He's so right.
A personal expiration date that God alone knows. And God's Book reveals in
our word for today from the Word of God in Hebrews 9:27 that "man is
destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." So it's not only
death that's inescapable. It's that personal appointment with the God who
made us.
And at that point, as Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). Not even all the
religion in the world will be enough because, well, being right with God
is according to the Bible, "not by works of righteousness which we have
done" (Titus 3:5).
I'm feeling a certain sadness. Not just because of one man's death, but
because of so many lives that are more wired than ever, but more weary of
life than ever. No technology, no amount of Facebook "friends," no
exciting new experience or relationship can ever satisfy that relentless
thirst of our empty hearts, and there's a reason. The Bible says, "God has
set eternity in the hearts of men" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We are forever
searching for something that's "ever lasting" in a world where it's all
so, you know, "never lasting."
When Jesus was talking at a well to a woman whose life was littered with
disappointing relationships, He used the well as an example to tell us all
how to fill that "eternity" hole in our hearts. He said, "Everyone who
drinks this water will be thirsty again (and, sure enough, we are). But
whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I
give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life"
(John 4:13).
See, Jesus can promise life that's "eternal" because, well, He proved He's
got it to give. Because His obituary quickly became old news when He
walked out of His grave and conquered what no one could conquer - He
conquered death. But it was His death that made our "what's next?" nothing
to fear. The Bible says, "Christ died for our sins" (Romans 5:8). And when
He did that, He tore down the wall that would otherwise keep us out of
God's heaven. And if that wall is there when you die, then the last
heartbeat you have is not the gateway to an awesome eternity, but to an
awful eternity.
And that's why Jesus died, to take all of that punishment for us. He
stepped out of heaven and onto the stage of earth to introduce what only
He could and that's eternal life. He offers this amazing peace and
fulfillment of knowing that you're ready to live and you're ready to die,
whenever and however it comes. So what we do with Him - whether we give
ourselves to Him or stubbornly insist on being our god for our life - is
immeasurably decisive. Eternally decisive.
We are coming into a new season of Lent, already. Christmas and the new
year are fading quickly in our rearview mirrors and Lent, Holy Week, the
Crucifixion are clearly fixed before us, but we can choose to look away
and what disaster that would bring! Let's walk this Lenten trail together
as it takes us past all that we'd rather not see or experience, but so
much need to be a part of our lives...this one and the one not so gently
or slowly unfolding before us all.
See you in Church,
Rev. Chuck
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