“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which has to be asked for, the door at which one has to knock.
“It is costly, because it calls to discipleship; it is grace, because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly, because it costs people their lives; it is grace, because it thereby makes them live. It is costly, because it condemns sin; it is grace, because it justifies the sinner. Above all, grace is costly, because it was costly to God, because it cost God the life of God’s Son…and because nothing can be cheap to us which is costly to God. Above all, it is grace because the life of God’s Son was not too costly for God to give in order to make us live.
“Grace is costly, because it forces people under the yoke of following Jesus Christ; it is grace when Jesus says, ‘My yoke is easy, and my burden is light’ ( Matthew 11:30).” (40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.)
I love the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He places so much emphasis on what seems to be a contradiction: receive freely something that costs you everything. This is the grace of Jesus Christ. How can it be free when it is so costly? In our culture, “free” means that it requires no expense or obligation of us. Yet this is exactly the invitation that Jesus extends to us, and it was exactly the invitation that Bonhoeffer accepted.
Bonhoeffer was not an exception, but certainly was an example of one who lived what he claimed about his Christianity. To put it another way, he walked the talk. Jesus said, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will find them” (Matthew 16:24-25 CEB). Most of us think of losing our lives for Jesus in a mostly figurative sense. For Bonhoeffer, the loss of his life was quite literal. Carrying his cross meant placing himself where his witness for justice and righteousness would end in his death. I have often wondered if I would be able to make the same decision.
I am thankful for the countless saints throughout generations who have shown us the way of discipleship. I am even more thankful for the precious Son of God who takes away the sin of the world. I am thankful that his grace is more than sufficient to secure my place in the eternal household of God and to hold me through the living of each day. What I wonder is this: would those who look objectively at my life say that the grace in which I have lived is costly or cheap?
See you along the winding path…
The Winding Path 