"See" the grace of God (1)

Monday January 10, 2022

"See" the grace of God (1)

“When he arrived, when he saw the grace of God, he was glad of it.” Acts 11. 23

We often speak of the grace of God, as an expression of divine favor towards us, when we do not deserve it. But is it possible to “see” it ? Luke tells us that Stephen's murder marked the beginning of a fierce persecution against believers in Jerusalem, which forced them to leave their comforts to settle in other areas populated by people with whom they had little connection. affinities. Wherever they went, they proclaimed the Good News of Christ and “a large crowd clung to the Lord” (Acts 11:23). Accordingly, Barnabas was sent to Antioch to make a record of the events for the apostles. Arrived there, “he saw the grace of God and he felt joy at it” and, faithful to his habit, he “encouraged them all to remain attached to the Lord with a steadfast heart” (v. 23). But by the way, what did he see ? He saw the results of the preaching of the Gospel on souls foreign to God, real life invading them and reflected in good deeds, in love for others, in gratitude to God for His incomparable gift. He saw a church forming and starting to impact an entire city. He saw desperate hearts suddenly filled with hope and joy, peace and self-assurance. For Barnabas and for them, grace was not a theological concept, but the astonishing expression of divine action among a people foreign to Jewish culture. Foreigners, “Greeks”, came to believe in Jesus (Acts 11:20). Like the church in Jerusalem, that of Antioch had chosen to follow the teaching of the apostles, to come together to pray together, to share all they had, to show generosity... Barnabas was witnessing a miracle due to the intervention of God within this city. And he is happy about it. Do we also rejoice when we see the grace of God in action ? Or have we become too jaded to “see” it ?

Source (His Word for Today)