Off the Hook

"For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:8-9

A few years ago, we were watching Malcom in the Middle, a funny show about a family with 3 children. They were sitting around the dinner table and one of the young boys said, ‘I had no expectations and still I was disappointed.’ We thought that was funny and thought how true to life that statement seems on the surface. But when we really examine our lives there are very few times when we don’t have underlying expectations of everyone…everything…every moment. It is through our unmet expectations that relationships crumble…prodigals run…dreams die.

This morning my Bible study gave me a powerful reminder of chasing the ghosts of outcome and allowing unmet expectations to keep us hooked to our bitterness, resentment and grudges. We feel entitled to our feelings when feelings can be some of the biggest liars. We walk around not letting others off the hook with something that occurred. And yet, we forget that on the cross through Christ’s sacrifice He let us off the hook forever. We continue to sin…we continue to hold grudges…we continue to keep others on the hook for some unmet expectation they weren’t even aware. We hold our perspective as to what should have happened as a barrier to what beautiful things can happen. We wear our disappointments on our sleeves and miss out on meaningful fellowship.

Letting someone off the hook means humbling ourselves to see that Jesus did that for us. It means equalizing ourselves at the base of the cross admitting our own flaws and mistakes. It means nailing our entitlement and emotions to the cross and picking up the attitudes of Christ. It takes grace to let others off the hook, the same grace that we have been given. ‘What has been heavy will be gone. What you have received, you will long to give. We give to others what we have been given. By grace, they are off the hook with us. Then we live in the freedom bought by grace, held by grace, and promised because of grace.’ Stronger, Angela Thomas-Pharr, p 105.

The grace received from Christ’s sacrifice is the most powerful 'MET' expectation we will experience on this earth. We were…once and for all…let off the hook.