MONDAY

John 3:16

• How can you help someone else understand this verse?

Parking my car, I almost turned the key back into the ignition and turned around. This was a silly idea. Wasn’t it? I looked behind me in my back seat. Containers of blueberries, an opened bag of grapes that weren’t as great as they advertised, and four whole tubs of trail mix glared back at me. We didn’t realize the trail mix had peanuts. We had a kid in our youth group who was allergic. I had heard that Costco took all returns, no questions asked. I shrugged in my mind. I might as well try.

I gathered my rejected groceries and walked into the returns line. When it was my turn, I started sheepishly into the spiel I had practiced in the car. “Hey!” Brightly, I started. Then, humbly: “Soooooo…I bought too many blueberries for our camping trip—I’m a youth pastor—we just got back from Big Bear—sorry, that’s not relevant…Anyway! The blueberries were great, so I totally understand if you can’t take them…the grapes were bad, one had a little mold on it—but the rest were totally fine! So, again, I completely understand if—” I stopped. I realized the employee had grabbed the food from where I’d placed it on the counter and was arranging it in the back with other returns. Clicking on the computer, he replied ambivalently: “Is this all?”

“What?” I gawked. “You mean, you’ll take it?” “Of course. We take everything. That’s our policy.” Dumbfounded, I silently handed over the trail mixes, was issued a return receipt, and went on my way.

When Jesus says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” it really means whoever believes. There are no catches, stipulations, or quick five-minute forms to fill out. God takes whoever wants to receive eternal life: Whoever believes. That’s the policy.