Reflection: Grace personified

Paul mentions thanks about fifty times in his epistles!

Why? Not just because it’s the overflow of his heart, but because grace is at the heart of what he’s on about.

And grace breeds thanks.

Grace is the heart of God and of his gospel.

Grace shows up when a needy, empty someone is filled.

Could be material filling, say with manna or bread. That’s life-giving.

Or could be soul/spiritual filling, with Living Bread. That’s eternal-life-giving!

[Who do you know that’s empty?  Maybe that’s you? How many hundred stories of emptiness are between the pages of our Bibles!]

Well, grace assumes that poverty isn’t just replaced by wealth, but that the undeserved are generously served.

That’s the thrilling gospel/Good News for those who know they’re desperate.

• In grace, our God shows up for the empty.

(And empty we are—dead in sin and undeserving.)

• Grace loves and welcomes the undeserving through a priceless mediator-gift,

The sacrificed son, Christ Jesus, Bread of Life.

(Grace is the Giver and the Gift [the baker and the bread].)

• We-hungry, by faith are righteous and reconciled to God. Forgiven and forever-fed! (see Romans 5:8-11)

So, the prayer, Give us today our daily bread (and the thanks we offer at mealtimes)

are apt little rehearsals of our confidence in the breathtaking gospel story of grace:

God physically refuels the empty

and he’s forever rescued the undeserving.

No wonder when Jesus said grace and picnicked on bread in hungry company, he longed to feed this world with forever-life-giving bread. He knew what was on offer…and, thank God, now we do too!

Prayer:

Through you, Jesus, we who were empty,

now celebrate hearts full and running over.

We who were starving,

by grace, are feasting on your salvation, rich and free.

For that overflowing grace, a gift too wonderful for words,

here’s our heartfelt and open-handed thanks.**

[repeat or sing]

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen                (Doxology by Thomas Kenn)

**2 Corinthians 14b-15 (my paraphrase)