#BeUMC - Grace Beyond Understanding

Grace Beyond Understanding

#BeUMC - Part 1

Sunday, June 25 , 2023
Luke 23:32-43

“One of the criminals hanging next to Jesus insulted him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’

Responding, the other criminal spoke harshly to him, ‘Don’t you fear God, seeing that you’ve also been sentenced to die? We are rightly condemned, for we are receiving the appropriate sentence for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.’

Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus replied, ‘I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.’”

Luke 23:39-43 (CEB)

This week’s message and blog post comes from special guets preacher, Rev. Tangela Cameron.

Listen here:

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God’s love is the center of the gospel. It is the crux from which everything else radiates, because without God’s love for humanity, there would be no Jesus, no Bible, and no Christianity. It is the center. Yet, the depth of God’s love is deeply perplexing. Everything about it is counterculture to our world.

This scripture is one of my favorites, and I find myself turning to it often as I work with my hospice and palliative care patients. A lot of questions arise at the end of life. There are not as many “whys?” as one might expect, but there are often questions, concerns, and worries around forgiveness. Primarily forgiveness from God, but also from family, friends, and others. My family raised me in the Baptist tradition. My experience with Baptist theology was fear-based. I remember others in Youth discussing baptism and how important it was to ensure we “didn’t go to Hell”.

I am not convinced that fear endears one to God. In my personal experience, choosing the route of fear, “turn or burn” theology, has driven more away from God/the church than towards. I came to The United Methodist Church as a teenager and remained United Methodist, because in my opinion, the theology showed me God’s truth: grace born out of love. Recently, a patient told me he did not “deserve” forgiveness. I did not ask, nor did he disclose, the things he thought were so heinous they would prevent God from extending mercy.

Regardless, it really did not matter what he did or did not do, because God did not set parameters of deservedness on grace or love. Instead, Jesus looks into the face of this criminal (or rebel, in other translations) next to him, who one might say is the least likely to understand what is happening amongst them and pronounces eternal forgiveness and restoration.

Grace does not make sense, because it is not about deserving anything. Grace is an outpouring of God’s love. Why? Because, God chose to. That is the one and only answer. Thanks be to God that God pours forth that which none of us deserves by any human measure. May we go forth and share likewise with the world.

Consider this: How does this passage stretch you? Are the merits by which we disperse grace and mercy to others of humanity’s scale of worthiness or are they of God?

When God Let's Us Win

THIS MESSY LIFE: CHILDHOOD - PART 2

When God Let’s Us Win
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Genesis 32:22-30

Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.”

Genesis 32:28

“You win some, you lose some.” That’s just the reality of life. Every one of us needs to learn how to be both a good loser and a good winner. Our ability to enjoy the game regardless of the outcome without crying or gloating all boils down to good sportsmanship.

Parents generally let their kids win at just about everything when they are young. It builds confidence and minimizes discouragement for children who do not yet have the emotional capacity to process failure. At a certain age, we start allowing them to lose. While building confidence is important, they must also learn to deal with the reality of defeat which will come far more often in life than any of us would like.

The same is true when it comes to behavior. When a child is simply learning what is right and wrong, mercy, understanding, and teaching should outweigh the consequences. At some point, however, they will “know better,” at which point consequences become more serious. We cannot and should not always protect them from the outcomes of their own poor decisions.

As God’s children, I believe we have a heavenly parent who trains us in much the same way. Jacob’s life is clearly filled with mistakes and poor choices, some out of immaturity and some out of blatant defiance. At some point Jacob’s struggle against the world and against his own nature turns into what seems like a physical wrestling match with God.

At this point we might think Jacob should know better. It’s time for Dad to put this spoiled kid in his place. He needs to learn that he can’t always manipulate others to get what he wants. For once in his life, Jacob needs to learn how to lose.

“Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.”

- Genesis 32:28

What? After all Jacob has done, God let’s him win. Granted, not without a limp from his torn thigh, not to mention a severely bruised ego. Nevertheless, Jacob wrestles with God and his life is spared. God’s blessing is greater than God’s punishment.

Maybe Jacob needed a different lesson that day. What if it wasn’t about winning or losing at all? What if it was simply a reminder that God’s love toward him had nothing to do with winning or losing? Jacob didn’t have to manipulate or control others in order to gain favor. He didn’t have to “win” in life in order to receive God’s blessing.

Maybe the lesson we all need right now is more than simply how to win and lose, but to learn to see ourselves as truly loved and blessed by God regardless of how much we win or lose in life. God’s blessing does not depend on our actions or accomplishments, only on grace, undeserved.

Click here to listen to entire sermon series - “THIS MESSY LIFE: CHILDHOOD”