He came for the messed up sinner. I think a lot about that as Easter approaches in just a couple of weeks.

We love that He ran after the prodigal, ate with the tax collectors and stepped in to prevent the stoning of the woman caught in adultery. We love that He left the 99 for the one who ran away.

We see ourselves in their imperfections and we delight over the rivers of grace, love, and mercy poured out by the Savior.

But then. There are the other pages. We don’t often write songs about those passages. We don’t usually draw pretty hearts by words like this in our Bibles, “But as for these enemies of mine, who don’t want me to rule over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.” Luke 19:27

Right after the beloved story of Zacchaeus (you know the song) and before the account of the Triumphal Entry( you’ve seen the Easter plays) is the Parable of the Ten Minas in Luke 19 and those hard words.

The problem-the nobleman went to receive a kingdom for himself and asked his servants to use the resources he had given them and engage in business. But they hated him and sent word that, “We do not want this man to reign over us.” (V 14).

The people were fine to be part of the kingdom, but they didn’t want the king to rule over them.

Jesus says, “But as for these enemies of mine, who don’t want me to rule over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.” Luke 19:27

Hard words.

Just before the Triumphal entry, just after we see the great mercy of God in the story of Zacchaeus, we see the heart of all sin…not wanting Jesus to rule over us.

And our gracious Lord, just before He will walk to the Cross to die for us, calls those who will not have Him reign over them His “enemies”.

Enemies.

Make no mistake—We can’t have the grace of the Lord and refuse the reign of the Lord in our lives.

So many try, but it doesn’t work that way.

A popular song touches on this hard truth, “It’s not one or the other. It’s hard truth and ridiculous grace to be known and loved by you.” (Known, Tauren Wells)

Hard truth. Ridiculous grace.

Just as love is part of salvation, so is lordship.

We were saved to follow Jesus. Not to keep going our own way…making decisions based on our feelings, our circumstances, or what’s acceptable in our culture.

And only when Jesus reigns in our lives, can we be called His.

Is Jesus your Lord? Or are you ruling your own life?

Oh, but friend, when we truly surrender to His ways and follow Him as Lord, it is there (and only there) that we experience amazing peace and find powerful purpose! It’s there we can truly celebrate all the Easter means!

What a Savior! What a Lord!

Easter

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