i don’t know about you, but the phrase “the scandal of grace” sounds contradictory and discordant to me. As regular readers of this blog are aware, i often include the lyrics of contemporary worship songs in my posts. i have oft said that i believe worship songs – whether they be traditional or contemporary – are the outpouring of the deep beliefs we hold in our hearts toward the One who alone is worthy of our worship.
Like the psalmists, the expressions of our hearts in worship are best conveyed through our “heart songs”. They are a reflection of the gripping truth our Lord God Creator has kneaded into our lives. But sometimes the expressions we use in pouring out our heart songs can be jarring. Another example i wrote about several months ago is the idea that God’s love could ever be considered to be reckless (“Reckless Love”).
We would readily agree that God’s grace is amazing and that His grace is enough. By its definition, grace is the unmerited favor and love that God freely extends to us. And we must quickly add that though His grace is free to us, it cost Him dearly. It cost Him the shed blood of His Son. His grace is precious. His grace is beyond our comprehension. So how can His grace be scandalous?
We have no problem understanding the concept of scandal. Scandal is “an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage (Oxford).” Our daily news is overflowing with reports of scandal – involving leaders in every strata and arena of society – political, business, education, medical, military, entertainment, sports – even the church – to name just a few.
Scandal has become so widespread that as a society we are becoming increasingly unaffected by it. And as our moral and legal norms change, our perspective on what is scandalous changes – most often, not for the better.
We could rightly say that scandal has absolutely nothing to do with grace. In our world today, it is most often the result of unbridled selfish ambition and the lust for power, pleasure and riches. It stems from the idea that “i am exempt from the norms” – “i am above them” – either those of God or man. “i make my own norms.” We have become so blinded by our sin!
So how could we ever use the word scandal to describe grace?
Two thousand years ago, the Jewish religious leaders taught that we were made righteous before God based upon our works and keeping the commandments. They then believed that those who were truly righteous based upon their works would have nothing to do with those who are not. The laws clearly defined what types of people were to be avoided at all cost. The first category was those who were sinners – i.e. tax collectors, prostitutes, Gentiles. It was an overwhelmingly large group of people – which by the way would include most, if not all, of us. The second category was those who were diseased or possessed -- emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually. They were considered unclean. The third group to be avoided was anyone who was dead. If you made physical contact with a dead body, you became unclean. Any violation of those teachings was considered scandalous.
When Jesus came on the scene, He consistently violated those norms. He dined with tax collectors and sinners – Matthew and Zacchaeus, just to name two (Luke 5:29-32 and Luke 19:5-7). He not only healed those who were diseased, but He touched them (Matthew 8:2-3). And as He raised the dead to life, He took them by the hand (Mark 5:38-42).
Jesus Himself said that He had come to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). He had come to extend His saving grace to those with whom the religious leaders said it was scandalous to have contact. And the reality was – and is – that none are righteous except Him – so by extending grace to the unrighteous, He was being scandalous. If we have turned to Him, repented of our sin and received His forgiveness we are in fact recipients of His scandalous grace.
There are still many today who believe they have no need for His grace – like the religious leaders of His day. But there are also still many who mistakenly believe that they can never receive His grace. They are correct when they believe they are undeserving of His grace. But they are incorrect when they believe they are disqualified from His grace.
What is the scandal of grace? His grace is scandalous by its very nature – it is undeserved and unmerited. And by His grace He gave His all. God shows His love – and extends His scandalous grace – in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
We would do well to walk uprightly – above and apart from any and all scandal… save one – the scandal of His grace.
SCANDAL OF GRACE
Grace, what have you done?
Murdered for me on that cross
Accused in absence of wrong
My sin washed away in your blood
Too much to make sense of it all
I know that your love breaks my fall
The scandal of grace, you died in my place
So my soul will live
Oh to be like you
Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart
Death, where is your sting?
Your power is as dead as my sin
The cross has taught me to live
In mercy, my heart now to sing
The day and its trouble shall come
I know that your strength is enough
The scandal of grace, you died in my place
So my soul will live
Oh to be like you
Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart
And it's all because of you, Jesus
It's all because of you, Jesus
It's all because of your love
And my soul will live
Oh to be like you
Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart
Songwriters: Joel Houston / Matt Crocker
Scandal of Grace lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group