The God of Community
“The grace of the Lord of us, Jesus Christ, (be) with all of you. Amen.” Revelation 22:21 (Literal Translation)
With – What is the last thing John wants us to remember? Grace! Charis. The overriding message of God’s plan of redemption. Joy, rejoicing, favor. The thing that causes acceptance and benefit. What transforms. Goodwill. The attitude and action of benevolence toward others.
Grace is not a convenient theological word used to summarize God’s strategy. Grace is the consummate verb of action. It is the basis of all love (another verb of action). Without grace, all theology is reduced to impotent platitude. Grace is the hallmark of the Spirit within. A “Christian” without grace, joy and favor toward others is not a follower of the way.
That’s why John uses this so-important preposition, “with” (meta). There are many ways to say “with” in Greek. John chooses this particular word because he wants to use it in a special way. For John, meta (with) is a word the “binds the community” by describing discipleship with Jesus as total engagement with others in the fellowship of the Spirit. There is no grace in isolation from others. Grace is action in union with my fellow travelers along the way. Therefore, if I am going to see the grace of our Lord, I will see it displayed in your hands and feet, in your words and acts, in your embrace and your comfort, in your admonition and your protection. Wherever Christians serve their Lord, graceful community prevails. Wherever grace is absent from the assembly, the Spirit is also absent.
Do you want to draw closer to God? Do you want more of His presence in your life? Make grace your operating principle. Express in word, thought and deed benevolence toward others. Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you and you will see God at work. Cherish those who follow Him and you will discover God’s blessing. Serve others and you will find Jesus on His knees alongside you. Our God is the God of community and in community He makes manifest His delight toward us all. To know grace is simple: make “with” your way of life.
The last word of the year is the context word of grace: with. “I am with you, to the end of the age.” And you and I are bound to each other, committed to meta grace because God is with us. Praise Him, Emmanuel!
Grace with you!
It has been my honor to serve you this year with 365 snapshots of the depth of God’s words. I have a few reflections on this journey if you care to read them.
