The Beautiful Injustice of Grace

Ever seen someone recognized who didn't deserve it? Does that ever grate on me!

Like doing a group project in school and the teacher highlights the one student who contributed the least to the project! Inside I just want to scream, "Wait! This is so not fair!"

But it's funny, in the spiritual realm where God's strength is made evident through weakness we can sure experience this too, can't we?

And what a gift it is each time we do!

This morning in my quiet time I was reading in Luke 7:36-50. A pharisee has invited Jesus to dinner, but he's not the only one who shows up! From the moment he comes in a "woman of the city, who was a sinner" brings an alabaster jar of ointment and "standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment."

The Pharisee immediately starts criticizing - oh not out loud! He wouldn't want to be rude! But Jesus knows what he's saying to himself and tells him the story of two debtors who experience their debts being cancelled and asks, "Now which of them will love him the most?"

When reading this I always identify with the woman. I know Jesus has forgiven me much - that's why I love him so much!

But today God opened my eyes to see how much I am like the pharisee. Especially when He blesses those I don't think deserve it. I love it when I experience God's grace - Him lavishing His riches on me through Christ when I don't deserve it at all. But it sure can bother me when I see him do this for others. Especially when it occurs in an arena where I've been "working hard" and they haven't - yet they find favor... or are promoted... or receive special gifts...!

And God gently pointed out, "Don't you see Deb, whenever this happens it's a gift to you. It helps you identify gaps of grace in your perspective. Whenever you feel like your hard work has earned something, you resent others being given favor. But the truth is can you do anything apart from me? What if I bless those who don't deserve it not only for their benefit, but yours too? To humble you and keep growing you in grace?!"

The woman in the story was totally focused on Jesus and left blessed. She knew how great her debt was! She knew she didn't deserve what He did for her. And she loved Him because of it. But the pharisees missed out!

And I realize when I think its my performance that counts, that earns me favor or position or provision, I miss out on experiencing more of Jesus - seeing in action how He is full of grace!

It's so easy to read the story and judge the pharisees and not realize I do the same thing. And when I do, I miss out on the beauty of grace - that not even God's provision is tied to performance nor people finding favor. What a great reminder these situations are - even though they do prick my pride.

Small wonder You select the weakest - even Gideon who starts out threshing wheat in a wine press - to accomplish your purposes so it's clear it's You and not us who makes things happen - so You get the glory!

That poor women enjoyed such a beautiful encounter with You - experiencing Your kindness, protection, acceptance, forgiveness and affirmation. She left rich! But in the same situation, with the same opportunity, those pharisees so missed out! May my eyes be fixed on you like hers were.

And may I begin to recognize that indignation is a signal I've wandered from adoring and appreciating you, that I've wandered from grace.

Without grace...

It began as a dream job. Though I was only twenty-five, I aced the interview. A previous employer highly recommended me. My future boss, who knew my previous boss, was so impressed she offered me top dollar to come work for her. For the first month we worked together well.

But one day she received a call from a frantic grad student whose dissertation draft was missing. This occurred years before personal computers became popular and it was her only copy. Just a few days prior my boss asked me to send it to her and I did. But after receiving the call my boss stormed into my office. “Did you mail that package?!”

Of course I did. But there was no proof.

From that moment my boss’ attitude toward me changed. Suspicion reigned. Was I really doing what she asked? She began to cross-examine everything. Under such scrutiny I became a nervous wreck . It was only a matter of time until I made a mistake and when I did it was the final nail in the coffin. This woman who’d valued me so highly upon hire, became convinced I was worthless and did nothing right. I plummeted from blessed to oppressed in a single day!

A week later, I called the grad student to apologize explaining we still couldn’t locate the draft of her dissertation. “Oh, it came the next day,” she shared, “I just forgot to call.”

By this time that made no difference to my boss. No matter how many things I did right, she didn’t trust me. In fact, she despised me.

And it just dawned on me… do you know what made that job so horrendous? There was no grace! I was highly valued when my boss approved my performance, esteemed while I was earning her favor. But the moment she thought I’d made a mistake she lost all regard for me!

What’s even more astonishing is realizing the impact that lack of grace had on me. It changed me.

I began to dread going to work each day. As I dragged my feet, I started arriving late and made even more mistakes. My heart was no longer in the job. I was trapped in a downward spiral becoming who she thought I was!

Recovering from that damage took years!

It’s sobering to consider how a lack of grace can serve as such a powerful agent of change in someone’s life... for the worse!

What destruction do I leave in my wake when I relate without grace?

Small wonder Peter concludes his second letter to believers encouraging them to “grow in grace.” (2 Peter 3:18) Reflecting on this certainly motivates me to do so even more!