Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? Matthew 20:15
“The ultimate reason why we must forgive instead of condemn is that God Himself does not condemn but forgives. Because He has freely chosen to put tenderness before law, we’re authorized to do the same. In the imagery of the parables, God is presented as the father rushing out to meet his son, the absurdly generous farmer who gives latecomers the same wage as day-long laborers, the judge hearing the prayer of the importunate widow…Jesus taught in the power of the Spirit that Christian giving and forgiving should copy God’s giving and forgiving. Acceptance is absolute—without inquiry into the past, without special conditions…as Christians living in the Spirit, we’re called to pass on the tenderness of God.”
Brennan Manning in The Wisdom of Tenderness: What Happens When God’s Fierce Mercy Transforms Our Lives (New York: HarperOne, 2004) 63-64.
We saw Les Miserables last night in NYC. My favorite scene is when the Bishop Myriel copies “God’s giving and forgiving” by not only forgiving Jean Valjean, he gives him all the treasures of the church to illustrate the love our “absurdly generous” God extends toward undeserving sinners.
Until we come to grips with how unbelievably generous Christ has been to us in our miserable condition of sin, we will never exhibit His generosity to the world! If you have never seen Les Miserables, watch it this holiday weekend! Or at least watch the Bishop scene on YouTube.
And if you are reading this in the USA, as you celebrate your freedom this weekend, focus on our greatest cause for celebration: that “God’s giving and forgiving” set us free from the chains of sin and gave us the riches of heaven! Thank you Jesus!