Oftentimes in evangelical Christianity we make it sound like the Gospel is the easiest thing in the world to understand. Well, it isn't. Millions of people around the world don't get it every day. I'm not even sure the Gospel is supposed to be easy. I'm taking my cue from Mark 4, where Jesus explains why he teaches in parables. He is essentially trying to not be understood by a majority of the people.
So, if this is the case, what does it mean for us? For one, I think we should stop over-simplifying the gospel message. Yes, there can be a "kids version", but most adults are not satisfied with that. (I think we can even do a more sophisticated "kids version" where they can grasp holiness and separation from God better than the standard thing I've seen in most curriculum...) Most adults understand that restitution with a holy God can't be that easy. That's why they are so tempted to earn their salvation through works. That's why my Hindu in-laws really do not get why my wife and I can be Christians. They see relationship with god (or "the gods", depending on which one you speak with) as being dependent on pleasing them. They are sort of right on that, but they still don't get the concept of holiness. That we can never be good enough to approach God through our own works.
Jesus did not provide a simple gospel. He provided deep teachings that spoke of an expanding Kingdom and of some refusing to enter it. This isn't the easy gospel of modern evangelicalism. It's much deeper and more profound than that.
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