It has been a tough time walking with Jesus the past few months, especially in the willingness to be taught by Jesus as He taught throughout His life. The accumulating messages of the Kingdom challenged not just some of my perceptions, but harshly shown to be in contrast with my willingness in follow Him. The hardship I have found I would like to share with you tonight, the question of our enthusiasm to practice love and grace to the unworthy.
Throughout His life He called out to those who were given to follow Him, to prepare and live in the glorious knowledge and reality of His Kingdom. Maybe in this final act of confirmation, He lovingly and willingly displays the unfathomable act of grace as He demonstrates the truth about it – acting unfairly in taking upon Himself the punishment that rightly should have been poured out upon us.
This is the example to follow, to show those who rightly do not deserve love and grace we should indeed deny ourselves and be true in showing grace. It seems easy to show grace to the needy and poor, but what about those we find who are close and indeed stubborn and, in our eyes unworthy of love through their deeds and everyday walk? How easily closeness blinds us. We are blessed when invited to join Jesus in the prayer He shares with us in John 17. How lovingly He prays for us, His beloved and close ones, still blinded by our own stubbornness and ignorance, for our Father to teach us the truth while still in the world. The pinnacle of Jesus’s teachings in this staggering act of grace in offering His life on the cross challenges human reference and reach.
How eager are we to be taught by God in practicing this perfect example of love and grace?
