Grace And Peace

I was the recipient of grace.
Two weeks ago I was to serve in our church nursery during the church hour.
I usually serve during the Sunday school hour, but the schedule was different that day.
Our son was home for the weekend and I was really looking forward to being together.

We are encouraged to find our own replacements if we cannot serve in the nursery.
I decided that I would try to switch with someone on the schedule.
They would serve for me that day and I would serve for them on their scheduled day.
I saw one young man on the schedule that I would ask to switch with me.

Since he is under 18, yet willing to serve, he serves when his mother is scheduled.
An email from me and a quick response from her and the switch was made.
I will serve for you in two weeks, I wrote, as I thanked her for her graciousness.
Our son came home and we were able to worship together.

This was the weekend they were scheduled to serve.
I walked into the nursery ready to be with the children.
Suddenly the young man walked in the room and saw me standing there.
This was the day I was supposed to serve for you, but I never finished my sentence.

No, we’re here; he said kindly, it’s OK.
Another women in the nursery smiled and said, I guess you can go.
I had just gotten over a cold anyway, still didn’t have much of a voice, so it was best.
But it was also grace, sheer grace.

I thought back to the mom’s email response when I first requested a switch.
She ended with the words, Enjoy your family.
When I re-read her email, she never confirmed that I would be filling in for her.
I just assumed that I would fill in on her next scheduled day, but she extended grace.

Grace defined in its most simplistic terms is getting something you don’t deserve.
Unmerited favor: I did not deserve the grace she extended to me.
This sweet woman and her son served twice and one of those times was for me.
They served in my place.

Do you realize how many words we say or live out that pertain to Jesus and the cross?

How about excruciating?
Excruciating: late 16th century: from Latin excruciat- ‘tormented,’ from the verb excruciare (based on crux, cruc- ‘a cross’).

The root of excruciating is cross.

Consider the word, grace.
Grace: middle English, via old French from Latin gratia, from gratus, ‘pleasing, thankful’; (related to grateful).

At the heart of grace is gratitude.

When we understand what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are grateful.
That gratitude overflows into action.
We extend grace to others.
A ripple of grace; who knows where it will end?

In the beginning of most of Paul’s epistles, there is an important greeting.
It is a simple greeting yet full of meaning.
Grace and Peace.
Grace from the Greek and Peace from the Hebrew.

Paul was writing to both Jews and Gentiles.
The Jews would have understood, Peace or Shalom.
The Gentiles would have understood, Grace or Grace to you, a standard greeting.
However, grace was not just for the Greeks and Peace not just for the Jews.

Paul combined the two greetings and made one Christian greeting.
Grace and Peace.
Lovely.
The church consisting of Jews and Gentiles, the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:16)

Grace and Peace.
Gratitude overflowing because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
To Paul, the cross is central to everything.
In every one of Paul’s letters, Grace and Peace are always from God.

What if we began to greet everyone the way Paul greeted them in his letters?
Grace and Peace.
What if we closed all our correspondence with the words, Grace and Peace?
What if we really lived it out?

Not Greek.
Not Jewish.
Christian.
About the cross of Christ, because of the cross of Christ, thankful for the cross of Christ.

On the cross that was made for us, Jesus died.
Jesus died an excruciating death and the wrath of God was satisfied.
Jesus rose again showing that God the Father accepted His sacrifice.
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

We come to Jesus in gratitude for all that He has done.
We know that we can never save ourselves.
The chasm between God and us is too great.
Coming to Jesus in faith and resting in Him, we now have Grace and Peace.

The perfect greeting.
The meshing of the two worlds, no longer Jew or Greek.
Now, IN CHRIST, one greeting, one closing, one truth.
In Christ, there is now Grace and Peace in abundance.

Write it.
Say it.
Live it.
Believe it.

Grace and Peace to you from God.