Grace as a part of the Human Experience (Week 12)

I found this particular quote from Bonhoeffer intriguing, “Human beings experience the divine grace that claims them. It is not human beings who seek out grace in its place, for God lives in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:16). Instead, grace seeks out and finds human beings in their place-the. Word became flesh (John 1:14) and claims them precisely there.” (Page 108). As someone who is a devout Christian, I think that this quote is something that highlights such a core part of my beliefs. One of my most foundational beliefs is that God’s grace has no bounds and, therefore, is offered to anyone at any point in their life with no dependence upon anything they have or ever will do. I actually taught a children’s church lesson about this very concept tonight.

I think that, as humans, we forget about how meaningful grace truly is and take what we are offered for granted. This prompts the biggest issue that plagues modern Christians. The issue being that we forget that not only are we all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, but it is because of this that we lose the ability to pass judgment fairly. My lesson plan tonight said that “Jesus teaches humility and humbleness, and we should all try to be more like Jesus.” I think that Bonhoeffer would agree with this as well. Are we all forgiven because we have a merciful God? Yes! However, it is important to remember that no person but Jesus has ever been perfect. Therefore, no one should ever pass judgment on anyone else simply because they are not Jesus.

Arguably, the most famous verse that supports this can be found in Matthew chapter 7, verse 4. This verse states, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” (NIV). Here, Jesus Himself is speaking. He’s teaching humility and empathy, urging people to approach others with understanding and compassion rather than condemnation. By acknowledging one’s own faults first, individuals are better equipped to empathize with others and offer genuine assistance or support without a judgmental attitude. This is how I think every situation should be approached. I understand that it can be difficult to do that since we are not perfect, and I am not saying that I handle every situation with grace, just like Jesus does. However, I think it is dire that everyone at least attempt.