Undeserving
Jesus often spoke in parables to teach the people around him. One of the most awe-inspiring themes in these parables is that Jesus welcomes the undeserving into his kingdom. Not only do we see this illustrated in his parables, but we also see evidence of it in the people God chose to use in the Old Testament. (Look at Moses, who murdered an Egyptian oppressor, and David, who committed adultery and murder—just to name a few.)
No matter how good or bad we may seem when measured by humanity’s moral scale, we’ve all sinned and fallen short. Yet God loved us enough to send Jesus to pay the price for our sins, so we could be made right with him. Oh, how he loves us! When we read the parables Jesus tells, we usually put ourselves in the shoes of the sinner, overwhelmed with gratitude for his mercy and grace. However, one thing Jesus highlights in these stories is not just his forgiveness and love for us, but also the tension believers feel when witnessing someone forgiven whom they may consider undeserving.
We see this in the parable of the lost son, found in Luke 15:11-32. After demanding his inheritance while his father was still alive, the prodigal son quickly wasted everything he had. Humbly returning, hoping to work as his father’s servant, he was instead greeted with open arms by his father, who threw a huge banquet in celebration. However, his brother—who witnessed the sin firsthand—was NOT okay with this response!
“But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
—Luke 15:29-32 (NIV)
Another parable that illustrates the tension of undeserved grace is the story of a landowner who hired workers early in the day in exchange for a full day’s wage. Later, the landowner found more people who hadn’t been hired and had them work just one hour at the end of the day. Yet, he paid them an identical full day’s wage. Naturally, the first group protested, calling it unfair. The landowner replied:
“‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
—Matthew 20:13-16 (NLT)
A third parable of Jesus’ undeserved grace is the parable of the great banquet, found in Luke 14. Let’s read this one together:
“Jesus replied with this story: ‘A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, “Come, the banquet is ready.” But they all began making excuses. One said, “I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.” Another said, “I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.” Another said, “I just got married, so I can’t come.” The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, “Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” After the servant had done this, he reported, “There is still room for more.” So his master said, “Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.”’
—Luke 14:16-24 (NLT)
This parable is a bit different from the other two. Here, the first to receive the invitation to the banquet weren’t upset about others being invited—they were simply too busy to attend. After years of following Jesus, it’s important to guard our hearts from shifting from gratitude and humility to callousness, becoming too busy to stop and be still with the Savior who gave everything so we could be with him.
When you read these parables honestly, who in the story do you resonate with most? If you are a prodigal running, I pray these words encourage you to turn to the Father, who is running toward you with arms open wide! If you can relate to the frustrations of the long-term believers, or you find yourself distracted by the busy pace of daily life, I pray that these parables compel you to take a moment to slow down and be with Jesus this week. Remember his love and forgiveness for you, and ask him to help you extend his love and compassion toward others. Whether we’ve known this grace for a long time or it’s something brand new, we’re all undeserving, yet we’re all invited to sit at the table of unconditional love! May we always make time to be with Jesus, rejoicing as others join us in his magnificent kingdom.
