Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Why do we struggle with God’s gift of grace to everyone? Why is it so easy for us to accept in theory the concept of grace but so hard for us to practice it? In the first place, grace is unfair. It goes against our sense of justice and fairness. We like to think that at least somewhere in the world fairness rules, because we see so much that is unfair in the world. So we have a hard time with God also being unfair through grace. We also tend to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt which we then do not extend to others. In other words, God can give grace to us because our behavior is the exception, not the rule as it is with others. In our own partial view, we hardly need grace because we are “good” people. So, truth be told, we can identify with the workers who were hired first. We work hard all day in the vineyard for the owner, who promised us the fair day wages for our work. Then throughout the day, the owner hires many other workers who labor in the vineyard with us. We don’t know what the owner has promised them, so we are surprised at the end of the day, when they receive their wages first, that they receive the full day’s wage. Seeing the generosity of the vineyard owner excites us at first. Surely if these latecomers receive the full day’s wage, we who work so hard all day will receive more. Imagine our surprise and disappointment, then, when our turn comes and receive only the full day’s wage as we were promised. The owner, of course, has done nothing wrong and has kept the promise made to us at the beginning of the day. But, we expect more because of his generosity to others. And, there is something unfair about being treated the same as those who don’t work as hard as we do. Welcome to grace, an unfair world in which none of us get what we deserve. The benefit, of course, is that when we sin, hurting God, ourselves or others, God wipes the slate clean and forgives us, setting us free to live differently. The downside is that God offers that same forgiveness to others, even those who have hurt us or whose sin is “worse” in our eyes than our own. But, grace is a gift that is God’s to give freely to whomever God chooses. So, how do we get over our jealousy and resentment at others who we feel don’t deserve the grace? We begin by reminding ourselves that truth be told, we are the workers hired last. We don’t deserve grace in the first place and we cannot work hard to earn it. My favorite definition of grace comes from Philip Yancey: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.” That is grace, love freely given that we don’t work to earn, but that comes simply as a gift. When we accept that grace fully, we can have the courage to face up to our own sin, naming it specifically for what it is and recognizing the hurt we have caused God, ourselves and others. This exercise does not result in self-condemnation, like we think it might. Rather, it results in humility and gratitude: humility in recognizing our own short-comings and need for grace and gratitude for the Lord Jesus who wipes the slate clean. This gratitude then enables us to let the Holy Spirit transform us, changing the behavior that causes us to sin and making us into new creations. The humility that we gain also allows us to welcome others into that same experience of grace, no matter what their sin. It also invites us to allow the Holy Spirit to convict others and not usurp that role ourselves. In other words, we should not define sin for other people but instead invite them into a relationship with Christ and with the Christian community whereby they can hear the Holy Spirit for themselves. This doesn’t mean that we can’t help each other along the way, gently pointing out what we feel to be faults in a spirit of humility and love. But, these types of relationships must be mutual and take place in loving dialogue, where the person can respond and also hold us accountable. In these relationships, we learn to speak only what we feel the Holy Spirit has laid upon our hearts and not simply say whatever comes to our minds. The beauty of these relationships that we experience in community comes from receiving God’s gift of grace more fully, both as individuals and as sisters and brothers in Christ. Questions for Reflection 1-To whom do you relate most easily, the workers hired first or the ones hired last? Why? Can you think of a time in your life when you more readily related to the other one? 2-Whom do you resent for receiving grace? To whom do you find it most difficult to extend that gift of grace? 3-In what area of your life right now do you need to accept God’s grace? Is that hard or easy for you? Do you tend to feel as if you have to earn God’s love? What steps can you take just to receive it as a gift? 4-How did the Holy Spirit speak to you in worship today? |
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Key
verse: Matthew 20:15 “Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my
money? Should you be angry because I am kind?”