Our society is characterized by passivity and irresponsibility; too often. And we applaud the people who are ready to get involved, even at the risk of their lives. Yet, despite the fact that commitment is too rare, it is the responsibility of each person who calls on God; without us becoming heroes.
If he has come to us, he asks us to do what is in our power. He came for us, taking our place, and our responsibility then is to accept his work and come to him. This corresponds to David’s approach when he addresses God: “I consider the work of your hands and stretch out my hands to you” (Ps 143v5-6).
Throughout God’s history among men, God has invited, “Come.” The work accomplished on the cross calls for another responsibility, that of each: “Come”.
Conferences Isaiah 55v1-5; Matthew 22v1-14
1) Unfortunately, we hear this call from the mouths of the enemies of the Lord: “ Come let’s kill him ! »(Mt 21v33-39).
Through this parable of the winegrowers who want to kill the owner’s son, Jesus revealed that those who are behind these words are the Pharisees, the religious men (v45). Pilate (even if he freed himself from his responsibility in washing the main ones) as well as Herod participated in the condemnation and death of Jesus.
The disciples also participated in this condemnation: their cowardice made them abandon their Master.
But beyond the main agents, there is everyone; Me. For what? “He took our sins upon himself and bore them in his body on the cross, so that, having died to sin, we might live righteously. Yes, by his wounds you were healed” (1 Pet 2v24).
Jesus’ purpose was to take the place of those who had sinned and were cut off from God. We all participated in this condemnation.
“It was pierced for our sins, it was broken for our trespasses. The punishment that gives us peace has fallen on him “(Isaiah 53v5).
“Come, let’s kill him!” »We are responsible for his death; it is not only the religious or the Romans: it is for us that he came to experience this terrible extremity, physical and spiritual death, namely separation from his Father.
2) “ Come, let us return to the Lord ! »(Hosea 6v1).
It is an invitation from the prophet to Israel. But unfortunately: “They don’t come abroad and they don’t look for it. The Lord said: ‘Woe to them because they are fleeing from me! I would like to save them.” It is a pathetic appeal, which speaks of the impossibility of being saved if we come not to God.
While waiting for this return, God says: “I will go away and return to my home, until they prove guilty and ask questions about me” (Hos 5v15).
Easily, the message of the cross is faded when it lacks this human dimension which is linked to this attitude of repentance; the fact of perceiving my guilt should push me to ask God for forgiveness.
After this comes this return to God: “Come, let us return to the Lord! For he has torn, but he will heal; he has struck, but he will bandage our wounds. He will restore us to life in two days, and on the third day we will rise again and live before him! »(Hos 6v1-2). This recalls… the resurrection of Jesus. And he associates us with this interior resurrection, with this new life.
“NOWreturn to your God, practice love and righteousness at all times towards your God” (Hos 12v7): giving him honor, seeking to do his will and trusting in him for everything, this is proof of the having returned to the true God.
And God responds: “I will heal them, I will freely show them my love because my anger is released from them” (Hos 14v5).
God’s love fully manifested at the cross; we will come there and return as we are, without waiting to be as we are.
3) Come, but why ?
“All you who are thirsty, come, here is water! And even you who have no money, comebuy and eat! come buy without money, yes, without payment, wine, milk! Why spend your money paying for what doesn’t nourish? Why do you work for food that doesn’t fill you up? Listen, yes, listen to me, then you will eat what is good, you will delight in tasty foods.
Listen, come to me, listen to me and you will live. For I will make with you an everlasting covenant, that in my satisfaction and faithfulness I have promised to David. So turn to the LORD, while he can be found. Address him while he is near! Let the guilty abandon his way, and the evil man his evil thoughts! And that he come back to the Lord who has compassion on him, to God who grants him generous forgiveness” (Isaiah 55v1-5).
This text takes on its full value through the cross. 5 times is the invitation: “Come”. It is possible to come to God who welcomes us; our action? “Lend ear, come to him, listen to his word”; the consequence? “And you will live.”
Come to him who is the source of life and who says: “Whoever drinks the water that I give him, obtain it for yourself never again and the water that I give him will become for him a spring of water that will flow into the eternal life” (Jn 4v14). Yes the free donation of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6v23).
Why do you waste your time, your thoughts on what cannot truly nourish you? “Listen to me, says the Lord, then you will eat what is good and delight yourself in good food” (Isa 55v2).
The devil had said to Adam and Eve: “Come and see the fruit of the forbidden tree; you will pay later…”
But God reminds us that he wants to give us true life, and that it is not without forgiving. We came to him to be welcomed by him with great affection, with eternal love (Isa 54v8, 10).
4) A departure process is linked to tremendous hope.
In the parable of the guests (Mt 22v2-4), reference is made to life in heaven, when we will be with God forever. But to be at this extraordinary party, there is one condition: it is necessary to accept the invitation. “ come, car everything is ready! “.
On the cross, Jesus on the horizon: “It is finished”. The price to pay is moral, namely laying down one’s pride and accepting without giving God’s free gift.
A man, in this parable, was there, clothed in his self-sufficiency in what he was, in what he had done that was beautiful and good: “The king saw a man who had no wedding habits : “My friend, how could you enter here without being dressed properly for a wedding?” »(Mt 22v11-12).
God’s gift, in response to himself, is a new garment, a new life. Salvation, eternal life with God comes through cleansing from our sins and done through repentance first. We are seriously mistaken if we want to be saved thanks to our fairly decent life, after all.
One day, wonderful day, the king – God – will say: comeall of you are blessed by my Father, take possession of the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world” (Mt 25v34).
We need to come and return to the Lord, to hear Him again and again say to us, “Come to me, you are all weary and heavy laden; and I will give you rest” (Mt 11v28).
Let us come, let us return again and again to the cross; this is where grace flows like a river, constantly. There we find, beyond various situations, easy or difficult, rest, forgiveness and joy. It is the consequence of this eternal Covenant that Jesus Christ made between God and us.
Jean-Ruben
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