Gleanings – He Takes a Bullet, Twice
Romans 5:1-11
“But God shows his love for us in that while we yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Paul brilliantly highlights the capacity of God by highlighting the capacity or incapacity of man.
The exception to the rule is that we humans might die for a righteous person. We might. “Perhaps,” Paul says. By implication we certainly don’t routinely, if ever, choose to sacrifice for the unrighteous, the unworthy.
God is however, wholly different than man. He does what we won’t do or what we might do rarely. He sacrifices himself for the unrighteous, ungodly and unworthy. It is as if God has been shot by a home invader then he himself falls upon the grenade he rightfully lobbed at the perp. This is love. But what kind? Love unknown to be sure. And love deep, broad and high:
O love, how deep, how broad, how high
it fills the heart with ecstasy,
that God, the Son of God, should take
our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
For us baptized, for us he bore
his holy fast and hungered sore,
for us temptation sharp he knew;
for us the tempter overthrew.
For us he prayed; for us he taught;
for us his daily works he wrought;
by words and signs and actions thus
still seeking not himself, but us.
For us to evil power betrayed,
scourged, mocked, in purple robe arrayed,
he bore the shameful cross and death,
for us gave up his dying breath.
For us he rose from death again;
for us he went on high to reign;
for us he sent his Spirit here,
to guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
All glory to our Lord and God
for love so deep, so high, so broad:
the Trinity whom we adore,
forever and forevermore.