Much about Muchness

Alice's Wonderland Box, originally uploaded by Cher's Passion.

In the 2009 film, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter complains to Alice:

“You used to be much more . . . muchier. You’ve lost your muchness.”

This is easily the most written-about line from the film, not surprisingly. In this dark world, the “here and now,” it seems that everyone is looking for more – much more. Where is the muchness? Where is the more? There doesn’t always seem to be much love, much peace, much joy, much power for life and for living it. We want more. And we want to be much more. It seems that we’re looking for something supernatural, since the natural is so much less than what could be so much more.

But Ah! Frabjous Discovery: I’ve found the Muchness; I’ve found the More! –

 

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how MUCH MORE shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how MUCH MORE, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man [Adam], how MUCH MORE did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how MUCH MORE will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. [Ah, the Muchness!]

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, GRACE INCREASED ALL THE MORE, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through (HIS) righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:6-11; 15-21 [NIV]

All the Muchness, all the More we need, is in the Person of Grace,

Jesus Christ the Righteous! Are you in?