My friend Dave Wilson told the story that one day he was stopped at an intersection behind a car and a motorcyclist. The motorcycle had fallen over sideways as it had rained and the road was slick. The guy was having a difficult time getting the motorcycle back upright because the road was slippery and it just slid over when he tried to right it.
On top of this, the guy just behind him was sitting in his car angrily honking. Finally Dave got out, walked over, and helped the guy pull his motorcycle back up, and away everyone went.
This is a perfect metaphor for grace. No one in their right mind thinks it is good to leave your motorcycle stranded in the middle of the road; the question is, how do you get it set straight again? The law has power only to sit and honk – to tell you that you’re wrong, to condemn. No one disagrees with this condemnation. Although the law is correct, that one ought not to park their motorcycle in the middle of the street and block traffic, it has no power to help. Grace gets out, without judgement, and helps you get on your way, while law only declares that you ought not be there.