GRACE...

I love preaching on grace. For me it is the most inexhaustible of subjects. I see it everywhere in Scripture in Every action of Jesus in the gospels, I experience it daily in my life.

Yesterday I was preaching on Grace, yet again, as were were continuing in a series called "Foundations". Such as is common for me, I tend to see things from just a slightly different perspective from normal. So we looked at Jesus' interaction with the demon-possessed man calling himself "Legion". The grace of Jesus coming to that region just for him. The grace of his healing. The grace of Jesus looking beyond the man's problems. The grace of Jesus leaving without him, and sending him out in his own land to tell his story. The grace given to one man, in one moment...

This grace led to The disciples returning after Pentecost, preaching the gospel, and the Name of Jesus was already known. Because of one man. Because of one moment. Because of a single grace.

In the movie: "Les Miserables" Jean Val Jean holds up his yellow passport, to the priest and says" This is who I am. I am bad. I am a thief." This man was naked with chains, screaming: "What do you want with me?" "I am Legion. I am full of Demons. "This man identified himself by his demons, by his problems. Jesus saw beyond. Jesus saw the man. Jesus offered Grace.

Who knew that the sound of grace, love and compassion was that of thousands of screaming, dying, drowning pigs.