Surely Lord, You Don't Mean Me!
Every time I take Holy Communion, I recall that heart‑rending statement of our Lord, "Someone here is going to betray me." And although Jesus was talking about Judas, I keep feeling I have to respond too. Do I? "Surely Lord, you don't mean me!"
I've got a hunch that fellow over there may be playing loosely with his marriage vows, and that's a real sin, Lord. And I sometimes wonder about the guy who plays the horses, or spends so much trying to win the Lotto millions, and fails to give his own kids some assurance of college, or the love and time he owes them. Isn't that a real sin, Lord, to be so casual about the hard‑won money we get?
But the words keep coming down to me, "Someone here is betraying me!" and I reply, "Surely, Lord, you don't mean me!" Oh, I missed a couple of Sundays in church, but you can't hold that against me. I'm a good man, and I don't do much that is wrong, and I'm not like some of those folks who sin a lot. "Surely, Lord, you don't mean me!"
But then, a kind of shiver of truth runs through my soul. Could it be that He does mean me? I don't always stand up for some things I know are very good. I do let my kids get away with murder some times, and don't always set them a good example. I haven't had much prayer in my life lately, and I do chuckle at some of the crude jokes I hear at Club meetings. Oh Lord, maybe it is me!
I remember when I became a Christian and joined the church, I promised to be faithful, and to make you Lord and Master of my life. And I know very well that making money has sometimes been more important than making you Master. And keeping a nice home and watching the Cubs has been more important than always getting to church. Maybe I am the "Judas". "Dear Lord, forgive!"
And the good news is that the Savior is forgiving when we confess. He does forgive. He does cleanse. He does welcome us to His table.
But the sad part is that there are thousands, yes millions of people (so‑called Christians), who just go "truckin' off" into Eternity saying, "Surely, Lord, you don't mean me!"
Can you hear in all of this the agonized soul of a pastor who throughout the years has wondered why people could be so careless about eternal things?
The message of course, is that we have all failed. Not a one of us can claim otherwise. My sins are different than yours, but nonetheless, they are sins. And the good news of God for us today is that these sins may be forgiven, and that the Lord is merciful to all who love Him and seek to serve Him. At the table of the Lord, "I'll drink to that!"
I've got a hunch that fellow over there may be playing loosely with his marriage vows, and that's a real sin, Lord. And I sometimes wonder about the guy who plays the horses, or spends so much trying to win the Lotto millions, and fails to give his own kids some assurance of college, or the love and time he owes them. Isn't that a real sin, Lord, to be so casual about the hard‑won money we get?
But the words keep coming down to me, "Someone here is betraying me!" and I reply, "Surely, Lord, you don't mean me!" Oh, I missed a couple of Sundays in church, but you can't hold that against me. I'm a good man, and I don't do much that is wrong, and I'm not like some of those folks who sin a lot. "Surely, Lord, you don't mean me!"
But then, a kind of shiver of truth runs through my soul. Could it be that He does mean me? I don't always stand up for some things I know are very good. I do let my kids get away with murder some times, and don't always set them a good example. I haven't had much prayer in my life lately, and I do chuckle at some of the crude jokes I hear at Club meetings. Oh Lord, maybe it is me!
I remember when I became a Christian and joined the church, I promised to be faithful, and to make you Lord and Master of my life. And I know very well that making money has sometimes been more important than making you Master. And keeping a nice home and watching the Cubs has been more important than always getting to church. Maybe I am the "Judas". "Dear Lord, forgive!"
And the good news is that the Savior is forgiving when we confess. He does forgive. He does cleanse. He does welcome us to His table.
But the sad part is that there are thousands, yes millions of people (so‑called Christians), who just go "truckin' off" into Eternity saying, "Surely, Lord, you don't mean me!"
Can you hear in all of this the agonized soul of a pastor who throughout the years has wondered why people could be so careless about eternal things?
The message of course, is that we have all failed. Not a one of us can claim otherwise. My sins are different than yours, but nonetheless, they are sins. And the good news of God for us today is that these sins may be forgiven, and that the Lord is merciful to all who love Him and seek to serve Him. At the table of the Lord, "I'll drink to that!"
posted by Francis Geo. Guither at 6:14 AM
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