Page 187 - GRACE

GRACE, Exploring Its Riches

face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before
His face. And as they went, they entered a village
of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they
did not receive Him, because His face was set for
the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples
James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You
want us to command fire to come down from
heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You
do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For
the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives
but to save them. “ And they went to another
village” (Luke 9:51-56).

Here, some of the disciples of Jesus thought they had an
opportunity to demonstrate the power to kill, a power that
was graceless, and not the will of God. For the Saviour, it
was an opportunity to manifest the grace of tolerance and
godly character. This shows that it takes a deeper level of
grace to forgive, be tolerant of people, show compassion and
mercy than the grace needed to walk in power; it’s even
worse for those who judge and condemn people, for that is
utterly graceless. Had the Lord permitted it, the disciples
could have successfully called down fire by the anointing on
them, by the measure of grace they already have; but they
needed greater grace to let go of people when they oppose us
and do not understand the grace we walk in.

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