“Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.” Romans 5:7-9 NLT
It seems especially challenging to call this day good in light of the excruciating and humiliating death Jesus endured. Certainly, to those who nailed Jesus to the cross, it seemed like a good day, but their elation would be short-lived. Now it is those who belong to Christ Jesus that experience the eternal goodness of what today means. I want to share this beautiful poem with you today as we contemplate the everlasting goodness we have undeservedly received through Jesus’ crucifixion.
Terrible Math
“I tell my children life is full of terrible math.
You will be good and someone will be mean.
You will persevere and it will still fail.
I tell my children: Bad things happen all the time to good people.
Soon they will see that the rich get richer as they toast their champagne
on their yachts, while the poor get poorer as they work three jobs.
They will see women carry keys in their knuckles,
the disabled weep behind their windows,
people shot in the parking lot, just for being alive.
But I tell my children that is only half the math,
the other half is just as terrible.
The liar, the cheat, the murderer—
The saint, the holy, the pietist—
all soaked to the bone in sin
all level at the cross.
All offered new life.
in exchange for open hands and a humble heart.
I tell my children: A good thing has happened for undeserving people.
It doesn’t make sense, the terrible math of grace.”
Written by Laura Wifler