'If you really knew me...'

6-7Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!" John 14:7 (MSG) 

What does Grace look like? It's interesting to note that every encounter Jesus had with someone who was hurting had a few key elements, and a few that are *shockingly* absent.

• He didn't throw out scriptures as a weapon or participate in morally flogging anyone. Woman caught in adultery, John 8:1-11 Woman at the well, John 4:4-26 
• He accepted all he met. Zacchaeus the tax collector, Luke 19:1-10 Matthew 9:10-13 
• He called out in love. John 4:20-26 

  And conversely he did not:

• Condemn the sinner. 
• Seek to control others. 
• Call out, shame, or embarrass. 

 In fact it seems the only ones He did call out in public were the Pharisees and the temple vendors--self righteousness and deceit.

And there was grace for even them.

And for you, and for me. And for that girl who had that abortion, and the guy living an alternative lifestyle, and the addict, the alcoholic, the workaholic, and even the chocoholic. And yes, for so many others, for sins in public and those hidden in private.

God's grace is deeper, farther, and wider than we could imagine--endless and infinite. And so too should ours be for others, including and most importantly, ourselves.