A Bit about Grace

Grace, Compassion, and Revenge… and Small People

My daughter was once treated unfairly by some petty people. As I watched her struggle with how to respond as a person of genuine Christian character, I wrote her this letter about grace, compassion, and revenge.

 

My dear Beautiful Daughter,

First may I say how very proud I am of you, of the Lady of God that it is my joy to see that you are becoming. I agree with the Apostle John, “I have no greater joy than to know my children walk in the Truth.”

Recently, you were given an opportunity to grow (fancy language for “crisis”) because of your interaction with certain people.

When faced with the unfair, the petty, the accusing, it is our innate human reaction to become defensive. If you can list six things wrong with me, then I can list a dozen things wrong with you. And, those “dirty dozen” flaws in your actions/logic/character will put you firmly beneath me, at least in my fiery mind.

But weren’t we taught even as small children that retaliation is essentially wrong? More importantly, are we not taught as Christian adults not to repay harm with harm? To not be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good?

I suppose the question simply put, is this: Is there no place for Grace? Is it really the best we can do that we should defend ourselves and criticize the other? What would happen to us if Jesus reacted in such a manner toward us? What if He gave us what we deserve?

But it is the essence of Grace that we are given freely the very thing we do not deserve.

Here is a Bible example. John the Baptist sent his disciples to question Jesus, whether He was the Messiah or not. After Jesus had spoken with them and sent them back to the imprisoned John, He spoke to the crowds about him.

“There is no greater prophet than John the Baptist…”

When John spoke poorly of Jesus, He spoke richly of John. When John said he wasn’t sure he believed in Jesus, Jesus reaffirmed His belief in John.

If I can give back grace for law, grace for wrong, grace for smallness, grace for error, than I am like Christ, for it is the essence of Christ to love the unlovely, forgive the sinner, and give peace to His enemies.

He doesn’t fight fire with fire, He fights fire with water.

Now He never backs down from the Truth, or withholds what a person truly needs. But His actions and reactions are always designed to carry that person forward, distinguishing between the infinite value of the person, and the utter worthlessness of their actions and words.

One of the keys to personal graciousness is compassion. Too often in my mind I build an airtight case against someone, find them guilty, and write them off. They deserve it, all is just, and case closed.

But then I see them in person, and somehow I have to see them through Christ’s eyes. I see their hurt, their defects that are not of their own making, their scars, losses, and what a fallen world and sinful nature has made them into. I realize they may be scarred and stunted for life, and may never be able to reach any greater maturity. That is a very sad thought.

And even though there is still no excuse for their actions, the love of God and the compassion of Christ shine the light of His Grace on them, and so I cannot throw them away. (Though it would be easy, and feel good to set them straight and send them on their way.)

So, I’m stuck with learning to be Gracious without compromising Truth. I’m stuck with the age-old requirement of expressing genuine love, which is giving a person what they genuinely need (whether it is what they want or not).

As I recently watched you work through these issues (and I’m certain you noticed my passivity) the beauty of God’s grace indeed shone through. You were honest, wise, and loving. I watched you wrestle with Truth, unfairness, compassion, hurt, and vengeance, and in the end you turned it all into something gracious and elegant.

Just like Jesus.

Good job, well done.

God bless you, my Beautiful Daughter. Your Fathers (both earthly and Heavenly) are proud.

Love and prayers,

Dad

 

Please share your thoughts in the Comments below.

As a Christian, how do you deal with unkind people?

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