Parakalein

As I concluded yesterdays blog I was recalling a blog I did two years ago on God's favor.

God has no favorites but places favor on all of us.  People like to act like they are God's favorites but God makes it clear.  "God has no favorites".

What God makes equally clear, in Isaiah 61 and in Luke 4 where the passage is quoted, is that he came to preach the good news.......the acceptable year of God's favor ".  God declared that the essence of the gospel is the declaration to all people: To people bound up in resentment, anger, hatred, and violence that they can be set free, to people broken apart by hearts that had rejected, injured, or maimed their well being that they can be wrapped up and healed (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Clearly "God's favor rests on everyone in different ways, at different times for different purposes".
I believe that God's favor rested on Mary as when was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. I believe God's favor rested on Elizabeth who birthed John.  On Joseph who Cradled the son of God in the arms of a father.  And on and on! I believe that God's favor rested on my daughter (both of them in different ways) when they had a child, one outside of marriage and one within the context of marriage.  All four of my grandchildren are recipients of God's favor on them.  My joy is to watch that favor increase and envelop their living.

I believe God's favor is on you whoever you are and wherever you are on life's journey

The idea of God having favorites is just another kind of God game we play.

The idea that we are all chosen unites us a a community chosen to be a royal priesthood.  All people of earth serving one another as chosen people.