How can a person know that they’ve become “good enough” to receive God’s grace? How spiritual do they need to be before God is willing and able to save them? Where is the tipping point, when a person simply becomes too broken to be healed?
The Healer Himself shows His thoughts on the topic clearly: partially through Jesus’ own ministry. All of the Bible passages discussed in this section will be from the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 15 specifically reveals Christ’s attitude towards sinners. In verse 1, it reads, “All the tax collectors [tax collectors were almost always thieves in Jesus’ day] and sinners were approaching to listen to [Jesus]. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable…” He then launched into a number of symbolic stories to represent his own heart: one is about a shepherd with 100 sheep. One left the flock and became lost, but the shepherd left the 99 to find it, and rejoiced when he did (vv.4-7). Jesus also tells of a woman who had 10 coins, but lost one. She sought the one coin until she found it (vv. 8-10). The final, and longest story is about a Father with two sons. One took his inheritance early and abandoned his family. He squandered the money, and became destitute. When he finally returned to his home, his Father ran to meet him on the road and embraced him, full of joy (vv.11-32).
The Pharisees considered Jesus’ association with sinners to be immoral. Jesus’ response to their criticism shows a deep love for the sinful people whom the Pharisees and Scribes scorned. In fact, He seemed to find more joy in a broken person’s repentance, than He would have if they had never sinned at all!
One of the most potent demonstrations of Christ’s love for sinners is earlier in the book in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus went to a Pharisee’s house to eat. (Pharisees were the religious elite of Christ’s day, known for following the law of God meticulously.) But, to the Pharisee’s surprise, a woman with an extremely low reputation entered the dining room. She wept, poured a bottle of immensely expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. This sinful woman poured herself out to and for Jesus. The Pharisee recoiled at the sight. He wondered why Jesus would allow the woman to touch Him at all. He concluded that Jesus must not be from God because of it. Knowing the Pharisee’s thoughts, Jesus said something incredible. He told a parable to represent the situation: “’A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one he forgave more.’ ’You have judged correctly,’ he told him” (vv.41-43) Finally, Jesus showed the difference between the heart of the woman and the heart of the Pharisee in vv. 47-48: “’Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’”
This was unexpected for the Pharisee, who was extremely religious, and followed the law with great precision. In reality, this strict, law-abiding Pharisee was further from Jesus than the sinful woman.
Yet another example of Christ’s grace to the undeserving can be found in His last moments of life, as he hung in torturous agony on the cross. A criminal, crucified next to Him, spewed insults upon Jesus. On Jesus’ other side, another criminal rebuked the offender: “’Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:39-43)
This man was a criminal; certainly not an upstanding man. Yet, he cried out to Christ in His last moments of life, and Jesus extended love to him, even abundantly above what the man had asked.
In contrast to Jesus’ close friendship with sinners, He firmly opposed the religious leadership of the day! Those who were confident in their own achievement of holiness had no place in Christ’s kingdom.
Why would Jesus love those who appeared to be most unlovable? Why would the King of the universe step down to meet the debased of humanity? Because that is the kind of God He is! His love for the despicable (everyone) is the core of the gospel! Matthew 9:12-13 reads: “he said, ‘It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”
In reality, all of humanity is sick (Psalm 143:2). All need a doctor equally to live. Sin puts all of humanity equally far from God. But, often, those who are wounded most severely are quickest to accept the healing of Christ. That is why Jesus is drawn to the broken, scarred and wounded. Christ rules an inverted kingdom where “’Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.’” (Luke 13:30)
God’s ability to save is magnified by the saved one’s initial brokenness. Paul writes that God’s “power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
There is no point at which a person has ever strayed too far to turn to God. God passionately “… wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:4, emphasis mine). The irreconcilable can now be reconciled to the Lord because God was so filled with unimaginably powerful love that He was willing to suffer and die in our place.
This is a God worth living for. To Him alone be all glory, honor, and praise forever and ever! Amen.
“But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.” (Romans 5:8)
- L. M. Eaton