Friday, April 22, 2011
Mercy Dessert: Teaching My Son About Grace
I have been teaching Jonah about justice, mercy, and grace. Last week, I baked cookies. Then, after a particularly disobedient day during school, we had this conversation in the car.
Jonah: Mom, what do you call it again when you get what you deserve?
Me: Justice.
Jonah: Yeah. What's the other one? Where you don't get what you deserve?
Me: That's mercy.
Jonah: Yeah, that one. I know I was bad today, but I think you should give me some mercy dessert.
Me: So, you think I should give you cookies, even though you don't deserve them?
Jonah: Yeah.
Me: That's not mercy. That's grace.
Jonah: What's grace again?
Me: Grace is when you get something you don't deserve.
He didn't have a response to this, and I was pretty sure he was calculating his chances of getting a cookie. Then, after a few minutes...
Jonah: Mom.
Me: Yeah.
Jonah: Jesus didn't deserve to die on the cross. Is that grace?
The easy answer is, "no." But the answer is more complicated than it seemed at first. I am pondering it still.
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You have an amazing thinker! I'm praying he'll stay on "our" side :) what a great day!!
ReplyDeleteLove this. Baking those cookies prompted the perfect conversation.
ReplyDeleteThe deep thoughts of little kids...WHO is teaching WHO???
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