Aggressive Grace

In order to protect my bald head, I wear a ball cap when I’m mowing the lawn.  To protect from the loud noise and to protect from boredom I wear ear muffs with a radio in them.  My head is down and I’m focused on the five feet of lawn ahead of me to make sure my lines are straight and I don’t run over any rocks or roots.  Somebody could be passed out and I wouldn’t notice them until I got ready to mow right over them!  At that point I hope I would be quick to shut off everything and rush to their aid.

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Jesus told the story of the man mugged on the road to Jericho. (Luke 10:30-36)  A priest and a Levite came along with their heads down, focused on the task before them and passed on by.  A Samaritan came along.  No doubt he had plenty on his plate, as well, but he not only noticed the man, but ‘went to him’, fixed him up as best he could, took him to an inn, cared for him overnight and left money for an extended stay, and said he would pay more, if it was needed.  Jesus’ punch line?  ‘Go and do likewise.’

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I think the Lord has been speaking to me, and maybe to us as a community, through involving us in the EACH campaign earlier this spring.  540 churches and ministries deliberately reaching out to our region with Good News and good deeds.  I know that we are gracious people.  If, as we are mowing along through life we see someone right in our path, we will show them grace in whatever form needed.  However, what the Samaritan demonstrated might be called ‘aggressive grace’.  He didn’t wait to actually stumble over the man, and didn’t stop at just getting him to the inn and leaving others to care for him.

I think the Lord wants us to get into the habit, or back in the habit, of going through our days with our heads up and our spiritual ears open.  How does the Lord want to answer the prayer for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as in heaven—through us, in the circumstances of our daily lives which He has prepared for us to walk in, today.

Go and do likewise.