Kindness-Gratitude Connection “Jesus Deals out Messy Grace” (Billy Russell, 11/17/19)

Kindness-Gratitude Connection

                     “Jesus Deals out Messy Grace” (Lk.18:9-14)

 

How we pray reveals our connection to God’s kindness and our gratitude for it. Let’s be grateful for Jesus’ kindness in dealing with our messiness!

 

 

Jesus teaches us about our relationship with God and others (v.9).

    Beware being self-righteous and looking down on others.

    We all have mess and need God’s grace!

 

 

Jesus tells a parable about connecting with God in prayer (vv.10-13):

    A parable is...a saying/story conveying spiritual truth towards action

          “an expanded analogy used to convince/persuade” (K. Snodgrass)

         “Syncrisis” = a comparison of opposites by juxtaposition (Snodgrass)

            2 men in the Temple have diametrically opposed prayer practices...

          Pharisee’s approach... reminds God how righteous he is.

                                               proud, pseudo-gratitude.

          Tax Collector’s approach... confesses to God how unrighteous he is.

                                                      asks God for mercy (lit., “the sinner”).

 

Ultimately, prayer reveals how we see God’s kindness (mercy)

                                            how we see our messiness

                                            the access we tell ourselves we have with God.

 

3 Truths Jesus teaches us from the parable (v.14):

     God justifies (declares right); we do not. God can send you home right!

     God will humble the proud.

     God will lift up the humble.

 

 

 

What to do with Jesus teaching:

     Check your attitude. You are neither the Judge nor Justifier.

     Carefully guard your heart’s approach. Your mess needs grace!

     Connect- access to God’s kindness leads to actions of gratitude.