Question: I received this e-mail: “I don’t think I know 10 people who admit they love Jesus. Do you love him? This is a simple test: If you love Jesus, send this to at least 10 people, including the person who sent it to you!” A poem then hinted that Jesus wouldn’t have time for me if I didn’t take time to pass this on. What should I do with such e-mails?


Answer: I’ve received identical e-mails. Certainly, being ashamed of Jesus is a real temptation. Jesus warns us with his first disciples: “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him” (Mark 8:38). Does my irritation with such e-mails arise from a guilty conscience? Am I embarrassed to profess that I love him who first loved me? Then such an e-mail may be a blessing. Not that it must lead my fingers to the keyboard, but because it sends my knees to the floorboards to confess my timidity.


But I’m uneasy with such e-mails for several reasons. Although well-meaning, they essentially are shaming me into speaking of my love for Jesus—“If you don’t send this e-mail, you don’t love Jesus!” Daily calls to repentance help crucify my proud old Adam, but only the gospel empowers genuine fruits of faith. The true key is not how much I love Jesus (always imperfectly until heaven), but how much Jesus loves me. I can’t shame others into genuine fruits of faith. The only thing that empowers me to live my faith joyfully is to contemplate in Word and sacraments “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18). Sadly, as this e-mail seeks to move me to action, Christ’s love for me isn’t mentioned.


That reveals another problem. If the purpose is sharing Christ, merely proclaiming “I love Jesus!” won’t bring anyone to faith. If outreach is the goal, there’s something better to do than telling 10 people in my address book that I love Jesus. It would be much better to pray for opportunities to share that Jesus is the answer to the sin that otherwise would destroy us. These e-mails are little more than the spiritual equivalent of a high school cheer echoing across the gymnasium of the world: “We love Jesus, yes we do, we love Jesus, how ‘bout you?” To my non-Christian friends, wouldn’t that appear as proud boasting?