My friend, R. Kent Hughes includes a powerful story of grace in one of his commentaries on the Gospel of Luke.

Hughes teaches, “Those most in need of mercy and grace often know it least.”

Then he adds the following account as an example.

A large prestigious British church had three mission churches under its care.  On the first Sunday of each new year all the members of the mission churches would come to the parent church for a combined Communion service.  In those mission churches, located in the slums of a major city, were some outstanding conversions – thieves, burglars, and others.  But all knelt as brothers and sisters side by side at the Communion rail.

On one such occasion the pastor saw a former burglar kneeling beside a judge of the Supreme Court of England—the very judge who had sent him to jail where he had served seven years.  After his release this burglar had been converted and became a Christian worker.

After the service, the judge was walking out with the pastor and said to him, “Did you notice who was kneeling beside me at the Communion rail this morning?”

The two walked along in silence for a few more moments, and then the judge said, “What a miracle of grace.”

The pastor nodded in agreement, “A marvelous miracle of grace indeed.”

The judge then inquired, “But to whom do you refer?”

“The former convict,” the pastor answered.

The judge said, “I was not referring to him. I was thinking of myself.”

The minister, surprised, replied, “You were thinking of yourself? I don’t understand.”

“You see,” the judge went on, “it is not surprising that the burglar received God’s grace when he left jail.  He had nothing but a history of crime behind him, and when he understood Jesus could be his Savior, he knew there was salvation and hope and joy for him.  And he knew how much he needed that help.  But look at me – I was taught from earliest infancy to live as a gentleman, that my word was to be my bond, that I was to say my prayers, go to church, take Communion and so on.  I went through Oxford, obtained my degrees, was called to the bar, and eventually became a judge.  I was sure I was all I needed to be, though in fact I too was a sinner.  Pastor, it was God’s grace that drew me. It was God’s grace that opened my heart to receive Christ.  I’m the greater miracle.”

All who bow to him, acknowledging their need and hopelessness, receive eternal life. Miracles of grace!

I began a new message series yesterday at CrossPoint entitled CERTAINTY.  During these times of uncertainty I will be preaching about the certainty of Jesus Christ through the eyes of the Gentile physician named Luke.  I am excited about the adventure that awaits us for the remainder of the year.

Our theme for the series is found in the last phrase of the opening sentence of Luke’s Gospel:

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke 1:1-4 (bold & underline added for emphasis)

(more…)