Responding with Gratitude - Pt. 2

I therefore, ma prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (Ephesians 4:1-7 ESV).

 

I am returning to yesterday’s reading for a thought today. The Apostle Paul begins with what would have been extremely difficult for the people of his culture to understand. For example, look at the experience of Jesus going to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner and conversation (cf. Luke 19:1-10). Remember that in Jesus’ day people despised the local tax collectors for collaborating with the Romans, who had taken over their nation. The tax collectors could also overcharge people in order to pay themselves, so they often got rich at the expense of their local community.

 

When Jesus came to visit, he shocked Zacchaeus, the local tax collector, and everyone in the crowd by inviting himself to stay at Zacchaeus’s house. In this way Jesus showed Zacchaeus great honor and respect, and that turned Zacchaeus’s life around. The tax collector stood up and acknowledged his wrongdoing, made amends, and gave half of his wealth to the poor. What joy in the city of Jericho!

 

Zacchaeus met grace in the person of Jesus, who accepted and honored him instead of rejecting him. He was overwhelmed and humbled, and immediately he became generous to the people around him. In Ephesians, Paul invites us to live a life that responds to God’s grace. He calls Christians to be humble, gentle, and patient. As people who have received generous grace, we are called to live gracious lives. God's grace to us fuels us to show grace and generosity to others.

 

This is all a part of our gratitude toward the immeasurable gift of God through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Our eternal life is not something we deserve or earn. We could not have done anything to obtain it. That is the grace of God. For that we must be grateful. This means showing humility in the face of both victory and defeat. Apply that in your life today!