And whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37
Have you ever entered a contest? Or maybe tried to cash in on a rebate or a special offer? If so, you’ve probably seen text like this.
If you are an individual legal resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and are 18 or older at the time of entry, you are eligible to enter the Sweepstakes. Our employees, their immediate family members (spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, children and grandchildren), and our affiliates, advisors or advertising/promotion agencies (and their immediate family members) are not eligible to enter the Sweepstakes.
After promising us “all you have to do is …” we get hit with fine print or a jumble of legalese spoken at twice the normal speed and half the volume. What gives?
Contest sponsors work with their legal departments to ensure they aren’t on the hook for extra prizes, or cheated. Let’s be honest. The contest or offer is ultimately for their benefit, not ours.
But because we are so familiar with these types of propositions, when Jesus makes His amazing offer– whoever comes to me I will never cast out– we are skeptical. It’s too simple. Too easy.
Too good to be true.
There are no conditions. There are no eligibility requirements. No age limits. No residency restrictions. He doesn’t restrict Himself to the first 5000 or even 5 million. He doesn’t even give us forms to fill out.
We know there has to be a catch. There has to be some fine print. He can’t be serious. Anybody? Yes. Everybody? Yes. Doesn’t He understand that some people will take advantage of Him? Yes. The offer is too important to rescind, though.
See, unlike contests and rebates, it’s not about increasing His brand or widening His influence. It’s a wide-open promise. The only condition, coming to Him, rests with us.
So, are you in?