The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.”
Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?”
He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.” ~Luke 3:10-14 (CEB)
“One of the great lies of our day is that conversion is instant, like fast food. God can zap us and we’re saved. It is all free. It costs nothing. Take it and run. This is what Bonhoeffer calls ‘cheap grace.’ Punch in at church. Grab a sacrament and run. Season your conversation with ‘praise the Lord’ and you’re among the saved.
One of the great truths of our day is that conversion is ongoing. Conversion is the process in which we are given opportunity upon opportunity to accept the free gift of salvation. Salvation is a free gift, yes, but it’s costly. It’s ‘costly grace.’ It costs us our lives lived passionately. The road to conversion is not a fast food line. When Saul was knocked down by that flash of lightning, that was not conversion. That was just God getting his attention. The conversion came as he groped his way in blindness to Ananias, able to see with interior eyes because he had no external eyes to depend on. His conversion continued day after day as he began to give meaning to his new name, Paul. He was still in the process of conversion when he was on his way to Rome in chains.” ~From A Tree Full of Angels by Macrina Wiederkehr
Lord, I don’t want cheap grace. Help me instead to live more passionately, love more deeply and cause such a great stirring that I am forever change. Guide me down the right path Jesus, seeing Your will for my life this day. Help me not to grope around in darkness but shine Your light clearly the path that I am to take. I claim all You promise me and I know that when I dwell in Your presence I am never alone. Amen.
