Hope with Grace – Part Eight
We are continuing to think about “Hope with Grace” – and how the grace of God is the only basis of hope that is certain.
We’re also trying to work out what this means for us as educators.
I remember having a conversation with a teacher who maintained that Jesus was inconsistent in His thinking, attitudes and behaviour. His argument was based upon Jesus’ seemingly conflicting responses to apparently similar issues and situations, that involved different people. Why, he asked, did the woman who committed adultery, seem to be treated compassionately whilst the Pharisees were treated so harshly? Why were Ananias and Sapphira struck dead for holding on to some of their cash; yet Jesus heals one of the soldiers who is injured by a disciple during His arrest? The call to consistency is a powerful argument in education.
As educators we are encouraged to be consistent with our students. Expecting consistency is surely a mark of fairness, justice and reliability. We respect people who are, in our opinion, consistent. This apparent inconsistency in the life of Jesus led to some disparaging responses. Some doubted his moral standards “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”[1].
The reference point for Jesus’ consistency was not Himself; rather He did what His Father told Him to do.[2] This appeared to reflect more than just an assessment of behavioural outcomes; it involved a measure of the heart’s intent. Thus, it was the self-righteous attitudes of the Pharisees that were considered the problem, compared with the softer heart of the adulterous woman.
So, if God “opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble”[3] maybe we might need to be more firm in our rebuking of pride, and more gracious towards the humble, rather than limiting ourselves to simply seeing an offence as the only issue. Remember, our theme is “Hope with Grace”. This might mean that sometimes we will weep together with the “sinner” and love them into repentance; whilst in another situation we may be called to firmly rebuke and discipline. Those of us who have children will know that consistency does NOT mean that we treat all of our children the same way in every circumstance.
Blessings this week, as we keep walking the road of faith-filled and faithful disciples of Jesus,
Brian
[1] Luke 15:2
[2] John 6:38
[3] James 4:6