Beyond the Weekend

December 10 | Gratitude

December 10, 2014

Text: Ephesians 2.1-7

In Luke 7.41-43 Jesus challenges Simon’s condescension with a parable. The essence of the parable is: the greater the gift, the greater the gratitude. One of the great challenges of Christianity is sustaining a sense of awe towards the gravity of the debt we owed because of our sin and the magnitude of the gift we’ve been given in forgiveness through the cross.

If our awe decreases, our gratitude becomes lack-luster in response.

Ephesians 2 reminds us how wonderful the gift is we’ve been given; how we were “dead in our sin” and servants to the Enemy himself. But God would choose not to leave us dead.

The Message restates Ephesians 2.5-6 this way: “Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did this all on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.”

The woman washing Jesus’ feet in Luke 7 is immensely grateful for the mercy showed to her – it shows in her worship. This should also be true of us. As we grasp the magnitude of God’s gift of salvation, may our gratitude grow and be displayed in genuine acts of love for God.

Take some time to wrestle with this week’s One Big Question . . . How do you express your gratitude for Jesus’ forgiveness? Discuss this with your small group or a close friend.

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