All summer we’ve been digging into some messy stories in the Bible.  We are seeing again and again, in a variety of ways, how life gets messy.  But we also see how God’s grace in the person and work of Jesus brings us healing and wholeness for his glory and kingdom.  

This week’s mess is just, well, it’s just weird.  This guy named Samson is chosen by God before he is born to be very special.  He even seems to have super powers because of his long hair.  If I didn’t know this was in the Bible, I would think it was some kind of new X-Men movie.

I’ve been working on this message for a couple weeks.  For some, I think the word from Luke 18 will be familiar.  But I think that for all of us, if we allow ourselves to listen to what the text is saying, this text will shake some junk loose in our soul.  It will free us to be truly loved by God and experience whatever mess our life has become to be made beautiful by his grace in Jesus.

Messes come in as much variety as there are people.  And each of us get messy in our own multitude of ways.  Sometimes we screw up our lives, sometimes we are blind to the messes we make and need to wake up, sometimes circumstances beyond our control mess us up. 

What about the messes we create for ourselves and others?  Today, we meet a woman named Sarai in the book of Genesis.  God made her a staggering promise about her life.  Ten years later, the promise was slow in coming.  She grew impatient and came up with her own plan.  It made a mess… for herself, for her husband, and for their whole household.  

We all need grace, don’t we?  God’s grace is greater than any mess we find ourselves in.  What’s messy about your life right now?  Where do you need God’s grace in Jesus to clean house?

Messes come in as much variety as there are people.  And each of us get messy in our own multitude of ways.  Sometimes we screw up our lives, sometimes we are blind to the messes we make and need to wake up, sometimes circumstances beyond our control mess us up.  

Jesus takes the frayed strands our lives and weaves a tapestry of grace.  Jesus is not surprised at the messy places life finds us and he’ll never turn his back on us.  No. Matter. What.