God's Grace in Clothing Form
Scripture Reading — Luke 8:26-39
They found the man ... sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind ... Luke 8:35
Picture the man sitting at Jesus' feet. He once stormed around the cemetery naked. Now he is calm. Jesus has brought God's restoring favor to him and, as a sign of that favor, Jesus has also clothed him!
Long ago God brought his restoring favor to two other people, and he clothed them too-Adam and Eve. They trusted the lies of the serpent instead of obeying the instructions of God. One result of their rebellion was that their nakedness, once a sign of innocence, became an embarrassment. But after God promised a future healing through the offspring of the woman (see Genesis 3:15), he clothed them. It was a sign of his loving favor for two undeserving rebels.
In today's reading we see God, in Jesus, clothing someone again-someone who experienced and expressed some of the ugliest effects of the fall into sin.
The owners of the pigs that were destroyed by the man's demons weren't very happy about their loss, but they couldn't mistake Jesus' healing touch. They saw the man sitting at Jesus' feet, calm and clothed.
As you put your fresh clothes on today, let them remind you of what God does for rebels. He loves and restores us. Ultimately grace is the garment we wear that allows us to stand clothed and restored in God's presence (see Zechariah 3).
<p>We praise you, O God, for your restoring favor for all of us who suffer the effects of sin. Clothe us, too, in your grace, dear Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.</p>
About the author — David Den Haan
Pastor Dave Den Haan has served at Fairway Christian Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan, since 1999. Previously he served a church in Minnesota. Dave and his wife, Connie, have three children.
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