Driven Mad By Grace

A lot of times we're in a rut, and we follow a path we've taken before, or others have taken. Often that path is one in which we think everyone else acts like us, thinks like us, decides like us.

Recently, I watched a show in which the actor Ethan Hawke researched Shakespeare's MacBeth (superstitiously called the Scottish Play) as if he was preparing for the role. He learned about the real, historic MacBeth. He learned from others' portrayals of the character. He wondered if MacBeth was changed by the prophetic words of the witches, and the urging of his wife, or did their words explode the ambitious fire within him. He talked with people who have worked with murderers to understand their psyche. Unfortunately, he didn't question the assumption that MacBeth may not have been ambitious at the start of the play and was bothered by committing murders of his king and friends. Shakespeare didn't write with emoticons; written words of regret could be said sincerely or sarcastically depending on the context. All of the experts talked about MacBeth as if he had never killed anyone before. I would've screamed at the TV if I thought they would have heard me, "What are you saying? He was a general. He's killed people on the battlefield. He was rewarded for his excessive boldness, recklessness perhaps, and courage. He was surprised that he was given another title and land by chance (i.e. the coincidence of his battlefield success and the betrayal of the king by another lord). It was common in those times to gain territory and power through murder and conquest. The murderers of the thane of Cawdor seemed not to go mad. MacBeth's actions were 'normal'. Now re-read the play, you morons!"

"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me," MacBeth says, "without my stir." MacBeth didn't think he deserved any newfound wealth, title or fame without earning it.

If you think you need to earn your rewards, you will be driven mad by grace.

Throughout scripture, God continues to love even though we do not love Him back. "Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ" (Ephesians 3.8 NLT).  "We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in [titles, wealth, appearance, etc.] rather than in the heart. For if we are out of our mind, it is for God..." (2 Corinthians 5.12-13 HCSB).

Paul's actions make no sense to the Corinthians or to anyone really. We analyze what he does in view of what we would do given our worldview, experience and the 'success gurus' of our culture. Unfortunately, they have false assumptions. They assume we have to earn love. We never earn love, not the love of God, our spouses, our kids... We can definitely kill love, but we do not deserve the love except that we are. Because we are, we get love. We are not worthy in the sense that we earned it. We exist, therefore God loves us, desires more of us, challenges us, spurs us on, rejoices over us...and so on.