St. John's Lutheran
Jesus Did It All for US!

Isaiah 55:8-9 New International Version (NIV)
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Thursday, September 10 - Isaiah 55:8-9 In “The Parable of the Two Sons” the chief priests and elders could not wrap their heads around God’s free gift of mercy and grace to undeserving sinners. They were completely wrapped up in their religious and moral work for God that when Jesus showed up and started forgiving and hanging out with some of the worst people imaginable they could not stand it (see also Matt. 9:9-11). God’s free gift of grace completely undermined their whole legal scheme. In our world of conditionality
God’s free gift of grace is always shocking. We are taught from a young age that life
is all about how well we perform in the classroom, on the sports field, and in our
job. But not with God. All the grades have been met. All demands have been
fulfilled. Everything has been accomplished by Jesus. God’s only demand is that we
trust that there are no demands! As Isaiah put it: God’s thoughts are not our
thoughts, and God’s ways are not our ways. Praise God for that!