"Practically Divine" - Week 6

I loved these words in the second paragraph on page 95, “I am grateful for truths that don’t require my understanding and are simply woven into the fabric of creation. I don’t understand the vast expanse of interstellar space, the planets in their courses, or even this fragile island where life thrives. ‘Bound to grace’ is not a sentence to parse – it is an idea to let root around in your chest, then sprout into practically divine ideas as you experience it.’”

Today, we will read from the Gospel of Mark, and it’s already time to begin Jesus’ road to the cross. Let’s read the whole chapter and marvel at the way Jesus chose to bind Himself to us through grace.

Read Mark 11.

Grace is woven throughout the details of this chapter. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus is praised and worshiped as He entered Jerusalem. The chapter ends with religious leaders planning for His death. None of it was a surprise to our Jesus. He was simply walking the road marked for our forgiveness, our redemption, our freedom. That! Is! Grace!!

You’ve heard of “Christmas in July,” but we are about to have “Easter in July.” Since you know what’s coming, go ahead and pause at the very beginning of Resurrection week. The cruelty Jesus had to bear during this week falls into the category of “things I can’t understand.” Thankfully, Becca pointed out that we don’t have to understand everything. We can let the knowledge of God’s infinite grace root around in our hearts. Hopefully, it will sprout into practically divine ideas as we learn to experience it fully.

Do you feel like the knowledge of God’s infinite grace in our lives has taken root in your heart fully?

If not, what hinders you from fully experiencing it?

Can you picture Jesus entering Jerusalem, teaching His disciples, and flipping tables in the Temple? I want to invite you to try. Let your imagination picture Your Savior actively moving towards His death, because He loves YOU and longs for YOU to live in His grace.

God, thank you again for Jesus. His life amazes us. His death often confuses us. But, we know both were for us and for our salvation. Today, help us to simply marvel at Your provision of grace. Protect us from needing to figure things out. The beauty of the Gospel is that we don’t have to. We are called to trust in Your work of grace in a way that empowers us to live divinely in that grace daily. Let it be so. Amen.