Getting Grace

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

When we read the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, we may not immediately want to identify with either of main characters. Taxes aren’t generally very popular, so anything associated with them gets a bad rap, and especially the tax collectors in Jesus’ day. As for the Pharisees, Jesus repeatedly warned his followers to not be like them, and the Pharisees were some of the people who ultimately saw to it that Jesus be crucified. 

Unfortunately, we can’t continue not identifying with either of the characters for long. Personally, I found myself muttering “Oh crap” under my breath as Pastor Dirk described the actions of the Pharisee. Because if I’m going to be one of the characters in this story, it would definitely be that guy. 

I’m pretty involved at Encounter—I write these Midweeks (clearly), I’m a youth leader, I facilitate the Women & Wine group, and a few other things. None of those are bad, but they also aren’t going to get me to heaven. They don’t make me any more or less holy than someone who’s involved in eighteen church activities or someone who hasn’t been to church in years. We can do years and years of good service, both in the church and out, but none of it counts in regards to our eternal salvation. 

Photo Credit: Flickr User kelly.sikkema, Creative Commons

All the work in the world won’t get us to heaven, which is at the same time deeply freeing and deeply terrifying. It’s only through God’s grace that anyone, ever, gets declared righteous in his eyes.

This is what the Pharisee in Luke 18 did not understand. Instead of receiving the gift of grace, he ran after religious accomplishments that could be counted and totaled up to prove that he was worthy. Though he tried to make himself sound humble, he ended up doing the exact opposite, showing how proud he was of his accomplishments—accomplishments that could never achieve what he wanted them to. I’m kind of with the Pharisee on this one—there’s a part of me that thinks it would be nice, or at least a lot easier, if there was a “Get to Heaven” checklist with certain accomplishments to tick off. 
• Pray every day and really mean it
• Read the entire Bible
• Love your neighbor
• Lead a Bible study
• Go to church every week
Check them all off, and it’s an automatic “Salvation card” for us. Except that’s not how gifts work.

The tax collector, on the other hand, had done so many wrong things he knew the only way he could become right with God was not through his own doing, but through God’s. He humbled himself to a place of knowing he’d done wrong and, if anything was going to change, the first move would need to come from God. 

That’s how God works—he makes the first move in saving us. 

Grace is a gift, and gifts can’t be manipulated or controlled, only received. I would much rather have it be something I can understand and control, can work harder to achieve for myself, than have it be so wildly out of my control. It’s also one of the beautiful things about grace, though. It’s so much bigger than us, so much purer than anything our human selves are capable of offering, so much more powerful than we’ll ever really understand. So while we can’t earn grace, we can receive it and offer back our thanks. 

[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]