The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith
Week 6: Chapter 5 — God Is Gracious
Read Chapter 5 of The Good and Beautiful God. Key Scripture: Luke 15:11-32; Exodus 34:6-7; Romans 5:8.
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Grace is the word Christians use most and perhaps understand least — this chapter pushes beneath the Sunday-school surface to ask whether we actually believe, in our bones, that God is for us.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Smith argues that grace is not merely God's reluctant willingness to forgive, but an active, overflowing desire to give good things to people who don't deserve them. How is this different from the way you typically think about grace? What would change if this were your working definition?
2.The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is the centerpiece of this chapter. Smith points out that the father in the story runs — not walks — to meet the returning son. In a culture where running was undignified for an elder, what does the father's running tell us about the nature of God's grace?
3.Smith draws attention to the elder brother, who has stayed home and worked faithfully but is furious at the father's grace toward his wasteful sibling. Which son do you identify with more, and why? What does the elder brother's anger reveal about a narrative that has turned grace into a transaction?
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