Matthew 4:12-17

Baby Boomers will probably remember the name of the rock star Alice Cooper. If you think Alice Cooper is a “she,” you give your real age away. Alice Cooper was the first “shock -rock” act. He used to parade on stage with makeup and live snakes and simulate his own decapitation, a pretty raunchy act. In 1992, his career received quite a boost when he appeared in the movie “Wayne’s World.” The scene everyone remembers is where Wayne and Garth have a chance meeting with Mr. Cooper, and they fall to their knees in worship, saying, “We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy.”

Alice Cooper’s long and successful career is the epitome of everything critics hate about rock-n-roll. He has glorified rebellion, immorality, idolatry and excess like practically no other rock artist. Considering this, many people were surprised when it was announced that Alice Cooper had converted to Christianity. He gave his life to Christ in 1995 and is now involved in a Bible church in Phoenix, Arizona. He even sings in the choir and volunteers to help at church dinners. Cooper is keeping a low profile and concentrating on growing in Christ and finding out what his next step should be as a disciple of Jesus.

Eldredge Cleaver was one of the best-known militants of that same era. He was one of the most notorious of that group known as the Black Panthers. But today, Eldredge Cleaver is also a follower of Jesus. In his book, “Soul On Fire,” Cleaver talks about his conversion. He speaks of a vision: “I saw all my former heroes paraded before my eyes, Fidel Castro, Mao Tse-tung, Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, passing in review, each one appearing for a moment of time, and then dropping out of sight, like fallen heroes. Finally, at the end of the procession, in dazzling, shimmering light, the image of Jesus Christ appeared.”

The world has turned for many people through the years–including many celebrities. People whom we would never have thought of having a religious conversion have found meaning in the person of Jesus.

When Jesus heard that John was in prison, Matthew tells us, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he dwelt in Capernaum, that he might fulfill a prophecy of Isaiah: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light,” wrote the prophet, “and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.” “From that time,” Matthew continues, “Jesus began to preach, and to say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repent. What an important word for our time. It simply means, turn around. Alice Cooper turned around. Eldredge Cleaver turned around. And many of us would profit from taking Jesus’ words seriously–turn around. This is not to say that we are rotten sinners. But at times we feel our life is going nowhere. We are not having nearly the success or the joy we anticipate out of life. And Christ says to us, “Turn around.” Perhaps we are in a destructive relationship, or we have acquired an unsavory habit, or we’re in some trying situation that’s sucking the passion for living right out of us. We know we need to change. We know we ought to start over. Where do we get the power to do what we need to do? And Christ says, “Turn around.”

Consider something Dr. Richard Dawson learned serving in the British Army during World War I. Dawson spent some time in a brutal Japanese prison camp. Daily, he watched soldiers dying of treatable illnesses. Most of the illnesses and infections came from drinking contaminated water in the rivers and swamps near the camp. A little stomach virus, some dehydration–all perfectly treatable during peace time–meant certain death in the prison camp.

One day, Dr. Dawson remembered a piece of advice someone once told him: the water inside of an unripe coconut is almost always sterile. Coconuts grew in abundance around the banks of the swamps. Dr. Dawson began cutting down coconuts and using the water inside as an intravenous fluid for his dehydrated men. Soon, many of the men recovered their health.

Dr. Dawson marveled at the fact that those coconuts, full of pure, sterile water, grew beside contaminated swamps and rivers. Evidently, the root system of the tree took in contaminated water, which was killing the men, and turned it into something pure and life-giving.

What a beautiful analogy of what Jesus does in our lives. Jesus takes that foul, debilitating part of our life and turns it into something pure and wonderful. He loves us and accepts us and makes it possible for us to become all he has created us to be.

Millions of people have had their world turned around by Jesus. Turn it over to Jesus, today.

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Rev. Charles Eldredge is a member of Maitland Church of the Brethren. He has a Facebook page and can be contacted by email: ce1133 @verizon.net.