(x)wisdom

So there I was at the end of work, I didn't have my lunch so I decided to get myself a pre-dinner snack at macdonald's. I thought to myself, "While I'm at it, I might as well get Lee a McFlurry." (McFlurries are Lee's all-time fave snack from McD's.) I make it home and say, "Hey Lee, got you a McFlurry" and on I went without a second thought.

A few days later she brought up a question to the effect of, "Why is God so merciful to sinners like us?" This confused me. I thought, "Haven't we been over this before?" Hadn't we been over Romans 9? Hadn't I explained that God is glorified in the display of mercy to the vessels of glory (Romans 9:23)? "Well, maybe people forget." I thought to myself. So I explained to her once again that God is glorified in the display of the full range of his attributes and he's chosen us to pour out his love simply because of his mercy.

To which she responded, "Yeah, but why? "

Total frustration. I didn't understand what she wasn't understanding. Finally I said, "Well what ilicited this line of questioning?"

She said, "A few days ago, I wasn't really being diligent in pursuing God, and I had a bad attitude. I knew the Lord musn't have been pleased with me. And then you showed up with that McFlurry. The Lord got me that McFlurry even though I was being a brat." That is what led us to a discussion about the cross and the insane degree to which God went to display his unmerited favor/love towards us.

Then it hit me: the glories of the gospel. The theological depth of the cross is beyond our comprehension. It's like telling a three year old that they owe a sixty trillion dollar debt and it's all been paid. There's no category in his mind for sixty trillion dollars.

So it is with us. The scriptures tell us of the great debt that has been paid for us at the cross and we get it, right? Right? I'm not so sure. There's a vast difference between apprehension and comprehension. This side of eternity we won't even begin to understand the degree to which we have been forgiven. This is why God gives us parables throughout our lives, and if we're careful to look out for them, we recieve confirmations of the love of God expressed in the cross and dying of Jesus.

A few observations:

1. There's no such thing as a coincidence. I just happened to skip lunch that day. It just so happens that McDonald's was around the corner. I've gone to that McDonald's before and bought myself stuff without considering getting Lee a thing. That day was just different.....

2. There's a difference between understanding Theology as academic information and understanding the gospel as an underserving-once-enemy-adopted-child. Lee was asking, "Why?" and I was confused and cound not understand why she didn't know. Which puts me to shame. It's not that she didn't understand the gospel, in that moment she understood the gospel more clearly than I ever have, it's that she couldn't comprehend why such mercy should be poured out on her. We're in a sad state when the gospel becomes something we understand.

Understand?

3. Husbands: don't underestimate the little things. I don't mean this just as a motivation to build a better marriage. How do you know that bunch of roses, that phone call from work, that McFlurry won't be used as a parable from God to your wife of eternal debts and dying love?