by Dennis Gladden, By Green Pastures, ©2024
(May 21, 2024) — Of all that this generation has dissed—marriage, gender, the science of things, the Lord’s Day, and such—grace is the least thought of. Our rampant rage and ungraciousness are a disgrace.
So, when someone tells me they have seen grace, you have my attention.
Luke tells us that, “When Barnabas came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad” (Acts 11:23).
When we recover grace, this generation may actually be glad again.
But how do you “see” grace?
It is not a commodity that you buy at the store. You can’t bag it, box it, pack it, or put it in storage. Grace cannot be hugged or held.
Yet, Luke tells us that Barnabas saw God’s grace in the most unlikely place: the predominantly pagan city of Antioch.
What did Barnabas see that convinced him, “God’s grace is in this city”? This is one of two questions I want to explore together.
The second is, how did this grace come to be in Antioch? Was it always there?
The answers will help chart our return to graciousness and gladness.
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