Grace For All
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle A
For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (vv. 22b--24)
She was young, but already she had a past. Alcohol. Drugs. Sexual promiscuity. She was heavily involved in partying. However, there was a church in her neighborhood that she passed frequently. One Sunday, she felt a deep urging from within her to attend worship. She did and discovered the urging came from God. She went back the next Sunday. The worship gave her a sense of peace. She eventually responded by professing her faith that Jesus was God's Son sent to reclaim her as a lost child. In faith, she started turning her life around and became a new creation in Christ.
As time went on, she became even more involved in the church. She eventually started working within the children's ministry. Her inner beauty was beginning to catch up to her already existing outer beauty. She caught the eye of the minister's son. His heart soon followed. They became inseparable and it was apparent where the relationship was headed. They began to make wedding plans.
However, the bliss of young lovers soon encountered the problems of hypocritical thinking. About one half of the church did not think it was appropriate for the minister's son to marry someone whose past included drugs and partying. They had held their collective tongue while the two dated, hoping it was just a passing relationship. But now with a wedding being planned, they spoke out. Conversations concerning the matter occurred before meetings and in the parking lot after services. To avoid a split, a meeting was called so that everyone could express his or her opinions openly and honestly.
Some were a little too honest. Many were not tactful. One woman said, "That woman gives a bad image to our church. She's not good enough to be a part of us, let alone marry the minister's son!" A man added, "She's like Bathsheba exposing herself in front of King David. She's nothing but a temptress!" The tension increased as the meeting was getting out of hand. The young woman burst into tears as her past was being dredged up like a long forgotten sunken ship.
The minister's son couldn't stand to see his future wife tormented any longer. He interrupted the madness and said, "Do you hear what you are saying? My fianc e's past is not what is on trial here. What you are really trying is the power of God's grace and forgiveness. You debate whether or not God has the ability to forgive a shameful past. You question whether or not God loves us enough to save us from our sin. Do you really believe that God doesn't love us enough to forgive us of our past when we have repented?"
All the people present began to weep as their hearts were opened to the truth spoken by the minister's son. They realized that they had been doubting God's ability to reclaim a lost soul. With new eyes, they saw the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection.
Too often we forget that God's promise of redemption is offered to all regardless of the magnitude of their failures. We are all in the same boat. The good news is that forgiveness is available to all who profess and believe - the hypocrite as well as the immoral.
She was young, but already she had a past. Alcohol. Drugs. Sexual promiscuity. She was heavily involved in partying. However, there was a church in her neighborhood that she passed frequently. One Sunday, she felt a deep urging from within her to attend worship. She did and discovered the urging came from God. She went back the next Sunday. The worship gave her a sense of peace. She eventually responded by professing her faith that Jesus was God's Son sent to reclaim her as a lost child. In faith, she started turning her life around and became a new creation in Christ.
As time went on, she became even more involved in the church. She eventually started working within the children's ministry. Her inner beauty was beginning to catch up to her already existing outer beauty. She caught the eye of the minister's son. His heart soon followed. They became inseparable and it was apparent where the relationship was headed. They began to make wedding plans.
However, the bliss of young lovers soon encountered the problems of hypocritical thinking. About one half of the church did not think it was appropriate for the minister's son to marry someone whose past included drugs and partying. They had held their collective tongue while the two dated, hoping it was just a passing relationship. But now with a wedding being planned, they spoke out. Conversations concerning the matter occurred before meetings and in the parking lot after services. To avoid a split, a meeting was called so that everyone could express his or her opinions openly and honestly.
Some were a little too honest. Many were not tactful. One woman said, "That woman gives a bad image to our church. She's not good enough to be a part of us, let alone marry the minister's son!" A man added, "She's like Bathsheba exposing herself in front of King David. She's nothing but a temptress!" The tension increased as the meeting was getting out of hand. The young woman burst into tears as her past was being dredged up like a long forgotten sunken ship.
The minister's son couldn't stand to see his future wife tormented any longer. He interrupted the madness and said, "Do you hear what you are saying? My fianc e's past is not what is on trial here. What you are really trying is the power of God's grace and forgiveness. You debate whether or not God has the ability to forgive a shameful past. You question whether or not God loves us enough to save us from our sin. Do you really believe that God doesn't love us enough to forgive us of our past when we have repented?"
All the people present began to weep as their hearts were opened to the truth spoken by the minister's son. They realized that they had been doubting God's ability to reclaim a lost soul. With new eyes, they saw the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection.
Too often we forget that God's promise of redemption is offered to all regardless of the magnitude of their failures. We are all in the same boat. The good news is that forgiveness is available to all who profess and believe - the hypocrite as well as the immoral.
