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We Can't Stand His Unconditional Love
by Dick Smith

On Ash Wednesday, the First day of the Season of Lent, we distributed ashes as a reminder of the tragedy of the Garden of Eden where all was lost because of Satan’s temptation. Lent is a season that culminates in Holy Week with Good Friday and Christ’s crucifixion. It drives to the event of Victory in the Resurrection of our Lord, Easter Sunday.

In an article titled, “Caught in the Act: Reflections on the Work of Christ,” Gerhard Forde, now retired professor from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, addresses the reason for Christ’s death and resurrection. As he discusses different theories for the death of Christ, he writes,
“Why could not God just up and forgive? Let us start there. If we look at the narrative about Jesus, the actual events themselves, the ‘brute facts’ as they have come down to us, the answer is quite simple. He did! Jesus came preaching repentance and forgiveness declaring the bounty and mercy of his ‘Father.’ The problem, however, is that we could not buy that. And so we killed him. And just so we are caught in the act. Every mouth is stopped once and for all. All the pious talk about our yearning and desire for reconciliation and forgiveness, etc., all our complaint against God is simply shut up. He came to forgive and we killed him for it, we would not have it. It is as simple as that.”

God sent His Son proclaiming unconditional love. We couldn’t stand that. It is just too much. So we killed Him. But Jesus gets the last word. From the cross, “Father FORGIVE THEM …” And then He is raised to vindicate His life and proclamation of forgiveness. Forde writes, “The fact that we had to kill the Jesus who came to forgive exposes us for who we are.” And the irony of it all is that in the process of killing Jesus, Jesus pulls our lives onto the cross so that in His death we also die. As St. Paul put, “… we are convinced that one died for all, THEREFORE ALL HAVE DIED” (II Cor. 5:14). The word of the cross is the declaration to you that your sins have been forgiven for Jesus' sake. It is the announcement that you have died with Him. You live no longer. It is Christ, the very one we all killed, who now lives in you as a redeeming reality. And the life you now live you live by Christ’s faith within you who loves you and gave Himself for you. (Galatians 2:20; II Cor. 5:12-21).

Rev. Dick Smith, serves Heart River Lutheran Church, bringing Christ to youth at the Youth Correctional Center in Mandan, North Dakota. You may write directly to Rev. Smith at dicksmith9@bis.midco.net

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