"Then saith this courteous Lord in his meaning: Lo, lo, my loved Servant, what harm and distress he hath taken in my service for my love,—yea, and for his goodwill. Is it not fitting that I award him [for] his affright and his dread, his hurt and his maim and all his woe?"
Julian of Norwich (Ch. 51)
In the Parable God showed Julian, she saw that the Lord had pity on His servant because of the harm he suffered when he fell in the ditch, and that the Lord had joy because He knew how highly He would raise up the servant in helping him. He even says it is fitting that He reward the servant and give him a gift for all his pain and trouble! We so often think our falling deserves anger and punishment. But God looks on our falling and sees all the pain and suffering we go through here on earth because of the presence of sin or evil, and He wants to not only raise us up but also reward us and give us a gift for all our troubles. It seems crazy to be rewarded for sin! But God sees our sins and failings as a trap we get caught in, or a slavery we suffer in, rather than something we truly want or choose with our deepest heart of hearts. And He wants to make it up to us for all the pain and sorrow and suffering we go through in this world because of sin. Jesus came and not only entered into our death due to sin, but He also raised us up into His life due to righteousness! We have been raised up with Him into His very life, endless, eternal, resurrection life, the God life! This is far better than Adam ever had it in the garden. This life is far better than any great life we could have here on earth physically. This is endless spiritual life, life in the heavenlies!
"Even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:5 (NLT)
A Prayer: Thank You for raising me up with Christ into a life far better than I could ever imagine! I love You!