There’s a joke about three men shipwrecked upon an island. Being marooned presented a bleak outlook with little prospect of rescue. A bottle washed ashore one day. Intrigued, the three opened it eagerly to discover its contents. They were surprised when a genie popped out and offered each of them one wish. The first said he wanted to be returned to his family and ‘poof’ he was gone. Encouraged, the second also wished he was home and ‘poof’ he too was gone. The third contemplated his wish and said, “I’m lonely, I want my friends back with me.”
Murray Smith
A silly story, but wishing you had a ‘genie’ at your beck and call is how many people perceive God… a somewhat remote Father Christmas figure of dubious existence but nonetheless, when the ‘chips are down’ it’s worth a crack to ask him for help because when you’re desperate, you never know…
That’s a sad misconception in the light of who God has revealed Himself to be… perfectly and exactly represented in the person of Jesus Christ. He epitomises justice, goodness and love. Grace is at the heart of who He is.
Like many words removed from their original context, grace is a word commonly misunderstood. The hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ touches on the ‘grace of God’ but it’s breadth and richness warrant a deeper look. The Greek word ‘charis,’ translated ‘grace’ carried specific meaning in the first century Roman Empire that the early church and disciples of Jesus lived and worked in.
The Apostle Paul relentlessly wove the word ‘charis’ into his letters to congregations and individuals around the Roman Empire. His writings constitute a significant part of the New Testament in the Bible. Paul, along with other New Testament writers strongly reflect the deep relationship between a giver of gifts (God) and the recipients of those gifts (people) when using the word ‘charis’ (grace).
Some crucial background… in the time of Jesus and the apostles, a system called ‘patronage’ existed in the Roman Empire. A wealthy upper class were known as ‘patricians’- the poorer common citizens were called ‘plebeians.’ Today if you wished to start a business or build a home you’d likely find a bank or lending institution to secure a loan with interest. The first century Greco-Roman world had no such options.
A commoner desiring financial assistance or help, perhaps finding work, might seek a wealthy person to enter into a relationship with involving ‘charis’- the lesser person receiving undeserved benefit or gift from a greater person. The supplier of the help was known as the ‘patron’ (patronus) – the recipient of the support, the ‘client’ (cliens).
Patronage was part of the life of the early church and Paul mentions a generous lady named Phoebe as “a patron of many and of myself as well.” (Romans 16:1-2)
Patron and client entered a lasting covenantal relationship based on faithfulness and loyalty. Understanding that a ‘gift’ could never be earned or repaid, it was not ‘free grace’ with nothing anticipated in return. A patron’s generous ‘charis’ to a client created a ‘debt of love’- which the client reciprocated with gratitude and devotion.
What’s your response to God’s generous grace being extended to you?
Studying the Book of Romans. Photo: Daniel and Hannah Snipes, pexels.com
