The Least of These

Every time I read Christ's words in Matt 25.45, I'm haunted in a good way; in a challenging way. Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me (KJV), Christ says. In other words, "If you do not serve those who are naked and poor and hungry and in prison, you do not serve me, AND YOU ARE NOT A FOLLOWER OF MINE." Sobering words, indeed.

I'm challenged each time I read through this passage (twice a year) that I need to better live up to what Christ calls me here. Before reading Tim Keller's excellent book on what mercy ministry looks like, I was inclined to be too judgmental and overly critical of those in need of mercy. Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit through Tim, I'm beginning to overcome that judgmental approach and take a much more grace-driven approach.

So I've felt free to buy a homeless guy breakfast in Los Angeles, and a different one lunch. Now I'm starting to want to hear their story if they're willing to tell it. Do we need to be discerning in mercy ministry? Sure. I STILL don't just hand out cash to the homeless, lest they spend it on their addictions. However, a grace-filled approach allows me to better see them as individuals and better serve them as a follower of Christ. I'm not where I should be yet, but I'm moving in the right direction.

Grace in Genesis

I'm reading through John Sailhamer's excellent book The Meaning of the Pentateuch. His basic theme is that the meaning of the Pentateuch is the same message that Paul gave to the Galatians, salvation is by faith.

I recall that as I think about Genesis 25.23, this morning. Before Jacob and Esau are born, God tells Rebekah that the older will serve the younger. I take a couple of things from this verse, neither of which I thought up myself. The first is that God had already declared that Esau would serve Jacob before the pair were born. Why then did Jacob go through all the lies and deception and suffering in order to make this happen, when he could have simply been patient and allowed it to happen in God's time. David passed this test. Jacob failed. (Got that from this comment in the NET notes: The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

The second thing I take from this verse I got from John Sailhamer who wrote the Expositor's Bible Commentary on Genesis. He points out that one of the themes of Genesis is the stronger serving the weaker, or the older serving the younger.

Another important motif is present in this account: “the older will serve the younger” (v.23). As far back as chapter 4, the narrative has portrayed God choosing and approving the younger and the weaker through whom he would accomplish his purpose and bring about his blessing. The offering of Cain, the older brother, was rejected, whereas the offering of the younger brother, Abel, was accepted. The line of Seth, the still younger brother, was the chosen line (4:26-5:8); Isaac was chosen over his older brother Ishmael (17:18-19); Rachel was chosen over her older sister Leah (29:18); Joseph, the younger brother, was chosen over all the rest (37:3); and Judah was chosen over his older brothers (49:8). The intention behind each of these “reversals” was the recurring theme of God’s sovereign plan of grace. The blessing was not a natural right, as a right of the firstborn son would be. Rather, God’s blessing is extended to those who have no other claim to it. They all received what they did not deserve (cf. Mal 1:1-5; Rom 9:10-13).

Just as Sailhamer points out, the intention of the author of Genesis was to subtly point out God's unfolding plan of salvation by grace, not by birthright, position, or natural right. As he says, they all received what they did not deserve.

Grace Bears Us

In contrast to the Mosaic law which was, as Peter said, A yoke neither we, nor our fathers could bear; Christ's yoke is easy and his burden is light. This is because the construction material of Christ's yoke is grace.

As an anonymous commentator on Matt 12.30 put it so well, We do not bear grace; grace bears us. It is not for us to help grace, but rather grace has been given to aid us.

Which recalls to mind lyrics from one of Derek Webb's songs, Awake My Soul: This grace gives me fear, and this grace draws me near, and all that it asks it provides.

I'd say he got that right.

Eternal Comfort and Good Hope

Thinking about 2 Thess 2.16,17, this morning. Paul says that the Godhead (God and Christ, thereby pointing out the divinity of Christ) gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace. I'm thinking Paul is using grace in the by grace you have been saved sense here. Thomas Constable quotes a commentator saying that secular writers at the time used the term good hope to refer to life after death, which makes sense from the context. It is grace that gives us hope of life after death in heaven with Christ.

The same eternal comfort and good hope is available to us that was available to the believers at Thessalonica. It comes to us in the same way also—through grace.

If You Think that the Lord is Fickle...

...you may want to sit down and think about Ezekiel 24.14 for awhile. It is perhaps the clearest and most exhaustive verse in the Scriptures in which God lays out his character in regards to his word. I am the Lord. I have spoken. It shall come to pass. I will do it. I will not go back. I will not spare. I will not relent. The fact that the Lord tarries when it comes to judgment is not an indication that he is waffling in regards to doing what he has spoken. It is a demonstration of his grace and mercy. John Piper posted the following tweet that bears on the subject in the past week: 40,399 citizens of Japan are over 100 years old. Twenty more years of grace beyond 4 score and 10 to find life in Christ. This is just the way we ought to look at God's word. It will come to pass, the fact that he tarries in regards to what he has said is not an indication that he won't act, it is an act of grace!

Grace as a Gift

I was struck this morning by the verse after Romans 3.23. Have we heard the message of Romans 3.24? We are justified by his grace as a gift. Certainly as followers of Christ this is a concept that we've heard again and again...and again. Has it sunk in? We cannot earn grace. We cannot work for it. It is given. A gift. A gift is given and received, not earned. May we receive the gift of God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, with wonder and thanks and God-glorifying excitement, but without thinking we earned it.

Grace is the glory of God, not the merit of him who has been freed. Prosper of Aquitaine