I just started reading Tullian Tchividjian’s book One Way Love. In the first chapter I came across this gem. “The Bible is one long story of God meeting our rebellion with His rescue, our sin with his Salvation, our guilt with His grace, our badness with His Goodness. The overwhelming focus if the Bible is not the work of the redeemed but the work of the Redeemer.” The Bible is a story of God continually coming and “cleaning up” humanities (or my) mess.
I am reminded of the scene in “The Incredibles” where Mr. Incredible says something to the effect of sometimes he feels like “the maid”, saying “I just cleaned up in here” his frustration with the world just won’t stay saved.
But Gods love is deeper than just cleaning up after His messy children. He loves us and pursues us in the middle of our rebellion and spite. The apostle Paul was in the middle of trying to eradicate God’s people when God recruited him. This is so profound (and unnatural). It’s a good thing that Gods love is patient
and kind and long-suffering.
I recently read a recent review of “The Giving Tree.” The reviewer stated how dysfunctional the trees relationship with the boy was. If you don’t know the story, the tree kept giving more and more of herself and the boy kept taking more and more. This kind of love can be viewed as toxic in our cause-and-effect, quid pro quo world. Society says that the Giving Tree should of stopped giving. She should of required something in return. She allowed the boy to use her up. I have heard that this story is a parable to illustrate the love of Jesus, who “emptied himself” (Phillipians 2:7) for his defiant children.
Much like the boy in the Giving Tree, I (a most defiant child) must continually return to Jesus and ask for more grace and forgiveness. It’s so great that Gods love is patient and kind and long-suffering.