Hear and see the whole story: costly Grace

 

Morning: Psalms 121, 122, 123; Zechariah 11:4-17; I Cor 3:10-23

Evening: Psalms 124, 125, 126; Nahum 1:1-13; Luke 18:31-43

Jesus predicts he will be flogged and crucified. His followers are deaf to his predictions. Then, Jesus heals a blind beggar. The implicit message is: Hear and see the whole story: It is by suffering, with Grace, that Jesus defeats death’s power. As a military hero, he would only have glorified it. Those who seek freedom non-violently may suffer (Gandhi and King are modern examples), because they understand that Grace is costly, yet it is more telling than hollow victories won by force. The story of Jesus is victory over death’s power, not by might but by Grace.