Daily Word of Grace # 132 (September 16, 2020)
When I was a kid growing up in Northern Virginia our neighbors across the street had a huge steep hill in their backyard. It was perfect in the winter for sledding, and perfect year round for one of our favorite neighborhood games, “King of the Mountain.” The object of this violent game was simple, to remove everyone else from the top of the “mountain” so that you alone remained and thus became “King of the Mountain.” There were various types of “removing”: pushing, pulling, dragging, tackling, tripping, whatever it took. Although we loved this game, we all quickly learned that every “reign” of the “King of the Mountain” was only momentary, because the very ones you “removed” in order to become “King of the Mountain” would inevitably return the favor. Moreover, eventually everyone in this game would be bruised. Unfortunately we live in a “King of the Mountain” world from cradle to grave as in nearly every human endeavor or institution there is a ceaseless scramble to become “King of the Mountain,” leaving most people bruised—externally, internally, or both. Jesus Christ was, and is, a different kind of king, the King of Grace, who in his passion and death was “bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5, KJV), and who died on a different mountain, Calvary. And even now the Risen Jesus is the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16), the real King of the Mountain, whose gracious reign will last throughout eternity.
Love and Prayers,
Dave