“There Is Nothing Inside Worth Dying For”

On one of my recent jaunts through our new neighborhood I approached a house with a sign that stated: “There Is Nothing Inside Worth Dying For.” The sign was a warning to any intruder to consider before actually invading this dwelling. I found this sign interesting yet not surprising. There were several signals up to this point in the yard and driveway that the resident(s) had some form of military experience. I do not want denigrate any particular branch of the military but I am sure I noticed some Marine paraphernalia in the yard. Not a real surprise. Hurrah!

Being a preacher, I ruminated on that sign for a good while. Also, having a fertile mind – that being one that is well fertilized and we know what fertilizer mostly consists of – I pondered that sign with great intensity. It really had spiritual implications while giving insight into the resident of that house. There was something in that sign that could be preached on. But, of course, all preachers think that about almost anything. I will never forget Henny Youngman (I know many of you have no idea who he was because you are way too young) who was known as the “King of the one liners.” I remember seeing him on Johnny Carson one night (you may be too young to know Johnny Carson too!). Youngman told Carson to say a word and he had a joke about it. Carson picked “penguin” and lo and behold Youngman had a joke. I told my son the other night to pick a word and I could make a sermon about it. I did okay with pineapple but got kind of lost on walrus! So, as I walked along ruminating about that sign I did realize a couple of things that may preach.

While I am sure the sign’s warning was supposed to be a partially humorous attempt to dissuade anyone from breaking into the house, I believe it revealed something about the resident. Did he think his stuff was of little worth compared to any intruder’s life?  In one respect the answer would be yes. That is of course until you don’t heed the warning and attempt to break in and he is willing to protect his stuff at the cost of your life. This sign clearly displays his values.

At my own house I always thought that if somebody wanted my stuff they could have it. Obviously they needed it more than I did. Besides, my stuff was old and I had insurance to replace it. I know the replacement stuff would be better than what was stolen!

Later on during the week, I saw the same sign again at another house. As I began to ruminate on it again, my first vivid thought was how glad I am that Jesus doesn’t feel that way! Applying Jesus’ perspective to the sign made me see things in a different light. Too many people today have the same sign posted on the door of their heart and life. It is almost as if Jesus comes to knock on their heart and there is another big and clear sign on display “No Soliciting!” They want to chase Jesus away and anyone else who wants to have an effect on their hearts for that matter.. They agree with the premise of the sign that “there is nothing inside worth dying for.” They feel they have nothing in their life worth having anyone dying for, even the Son of God. They are not trying to be heretical but they see no need for what Jesus Christ did and think he was basically a fool and so are all of those who believe in him. Their arrogance will be their undoing. Let’s hope they come to their senses before it is too late. Eternity is real and apart from having Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, eternity will be HOT!

In reality, Jesus DID die for what is inside of them and us. And, in his estimation it was worth dying for. Jesus Christ wants to redeem the image of God that is resident in all of us, all human beings. It was given to us at creation and it is what sets us apart from all of the other animals, regardless of whatever nonsense PETA bloviates. There is a reason why, in the first Genesis account of creation, God calls everything “good” until he creates mankind. Only after man comes on the scene does God call his work “very good.” We are the crowning jewel of God’s magnificent work in creation. You have to wonder sometimes if God spoke too soon. But Jesus died for that portion of each and every life that lives in opposition to God.

 There are always going to be a group of people that do not feel worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made for them. And, they are not alone in their unworthiness but they don’t know it. They just feel that there really isn’t anything worth dying for in their lives. There isn’t one thing that is redeemable, that is worth saving. In our disposable culture, they feel they are not worth anything more than ending up on the trash heap of life. Their self-esteem is so low, their psyche so disoriented and abused, their pain so deep and thorough, they cannot image one scenario that would lead Jesus Christ to want to save them. I have actually heard people say that if God knew how bad they had been, he would not give them the time of day. I love that one because they imagine that their life of sin and its severity will come as a surprise to God! That is arrogance of another form. In essence they deny God his almighty power believing they are the only one he cannot or will not save. Everything is possible with God except for them. The other end of the spectrum is the worthless wasted life that has no meaning, purpose or quality and thus would not be of interest as something God would waste his time over. How sad, truly sad, that people actually believe this. The good news – the gospel – is that Jesus ignores the sign that says “There Is Nothing Inside Worth Dying For.” In God’s economy, every life has value and Jesus came to die for each and every one of those. When Jesus restores a life through the work of salvation he wrought on the cross, he reinstates the worth back into that life by his precious shed blood. Regardless of what you have done, what you continue to do, or what you will someday do (again and again and again as our former taekwondo instructor used to say) Jesus still feels that you are worth dying for. He is not going to wait for you to come to your senses, to wake up and smell the coffee. He has already done everything necessary for you to receive what he has to offer. The rest is up to you because there is something inside worth dying for and Jesus is the Lord of Life.