Understanding Unworthiness

 

 

How blessed to know how unworthy we are! A Roman commander of 100 solders asked Jesus to heal his beloved servant but added, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Just say the word, and he will be healed.”

·       Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

In his unworthiness, he had gained great wisdom and faith. Jesus spoke the Word, and the servant was instantly healed:

A wealthy man’s second born son had demanded his inheritance and went to a foreign land and blew his wealth on prostitutes. A great famine came, and he had no money left for food. He got a job feeding pigs where he tried to compete with them for their food. Consequently, he was starving and decided to swallow his pride and return disgraced to his father, who had been had been awaiting his son’s return. When he saw his unworthy son coming, he ran to him, kissed, and embraced him:

·       Luke 15:21 And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

With this acknowledgement, the father threw him a great party. However, his oldest son was embittered. He had regarded himself as worthy of such a party but certainly not his unworthy brother. He refused to attend even after the father assured him that everything he had belonged to him.

Bitterness is the fate of those who regard themselves as worthy, while gratefulness is the inheritance of those who gladly accept their unworthiness. Therefore, it is not surprising that Jesus alerts us to our unworthiness before God:

·       Luke 17:10 “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Even the great Apostle Paul acknowledged this: Galatians 6:3 “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Our blessedness resides in the fact that we understand this:

·       Matthew 5:3–5 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

 Paul had acknowledged that he needed to be continually humbled (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) to become the man that our Lord requires. I do too! I began to regard my church cynically. I was like the older brother who regarded his prodigal brother with contempt. I I required perfection in my church. However, by God’s grace, my contempt was killing me. It became so painful that I had to flee after the service, lest any see my uncleanness.

What is the answer? Always Christ! He loves us so much that He humbles us to exalt us. He prunes us so that we would bear more fruit:

·       John 15:1–2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”