Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness
The parables of Jesus offer some of the clearest and most moving portraits of God's grace and forgiveness. Jesus reveals a Father who not only pardons the sinner but actively seeks the lost, celebrates their return and calls His people to mirror that same mercy in their relationships with others. Perhaps no parable illustrates this more powerfully than the Prodigal Son. Here, a wayward son squanders everything - yet when he returns home in shame, he is met not with condemnation, but with a Father running to embrace him. This is the heart of God - overflowing with grace, eager to restore and full of joy when the lost are found. Just as striking is the elder brother's struggle to accept this grace, a caution to those who forget their own need for mercy. This continues in the Parable of the Lost Sheep, where a shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to rescue the one that wandered. It is a stunning image of God's relentless pursuit of each soul. The same message is echoed in the Parable of the Lost Coin, where a woman turns her house upside down to find a single silver coin - symbolizing the deep worth of every individual in God's eyes.
But grace is not only something to receive, it is something to extend. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant reminds us that those who have been forgiven much must also forgive much. God's mercy is boundless, but He expects His children to reflect that mercy in how they treat others. We are to live in the freedom of forgiveness - both as recipients and as agents of grace. Whether we are the prodigal, the lost coin or the one holding a grudge, Jesus invites us to return to the Father's open arms and to welcome others with the same compassion we've received.
The Prodigal Son
Scripture Reference Luke 15:11-32
This is one of Jesus' most profound teachings on grace, forgiveness and the heart of God toward the repentant. Set within three parables of the same theme about lost things - a lost sheep, a lost coin, and finally a lost son - Jesus uses this story to illustrate the boundless mercy of God and the joy of reconciliation. In the parable, a younger son demands his share of the inheritance from his father - a shocking act in that culture, essentially wishing his father dead. The father grants his request and the son departs to a far country, squandering his wealth in reckless living. When famine hits and the money runs out, he ends up feeding pigs - an unclean job for a Jew - so hungry that he longs to eat the pigs food. At rock bottom, he comes to his senses and decides to return home, not expecting to be welcomed as a son but hoping to be treated as a hired servant.
Parable of the Prodigal Son
Illustration by Annie Vallotton, from the Good News Bible. Image courtesy of Rotation.org
What follows is a breathtaking moment of grace. As the son approaches, while he was still a long way off, the father sees him, runs to him, embraces him and kisses him. Before the son can even finish his rehearsed apology, the father restores him fully - robe, ring, sandals and a feast. There is no lecture, no delay, no punishment - only rejoicing. This is the heart of God - not hesitant forgiveness but eager restoration. The father represents God, who watches for our return and welcomes us not as servants, but as beloved children. No matter how far we've gone or how deeply we've fallen, God's mercy runs to meet us.
But the parable doesn't end there. The older brother, who stayed and obeyed, is furious at the celebration. He feels overlooked and resentful. The father gently responds to him too, reminding him, 'You are always with me, and all that I have is yours'. The older brother represents those who find it difficult to accept the grace shown to others - those who feel they've earned favor through obedience. Here, Jesus confronts the religious leaders who grumbled about His fellowship with sinners. Their self-righteousness blinds them to the joy of redemption. Grace can be offensive to those who think others don't deserve it
The parable calls each of us to examine our hearts. Whether we relate more to the wayward younger son or the judgmental older brother, Jesus invites us into the joy of God's grace. The younger son teaches us that we're never too far gone to return home. The older son reminds us that grace must be extended, not just received.
Do I hesitate to return to God in repentance? Do I extend the same grace to others as given to me by my Lord?
The Lost Sheep
Scripture Reference Luke 15:3-7, Matt 18:12-14
Jesus tells of a shepherd who owns a hundred sheep. When one wanders off, he leaves the ninety-nine in the open field and goes after the one that is lost until he finds it. Upon finding the sheep, he joyfully lifts it onto his shoulders, brings it home and calls his friends and neighbors to celebrate. 'Rejoice with me, he says, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
This might seem like a risky or even foolish decision to leaving ninety-nine for one. But Jesus isn't offering a lesson in livestock management - He's revealing the nature of God's love! This story beautifully illustrates the heart of God for the individual who has gone astray. Like the parable of the Prodigal Son, it highlights God's grace and His relentless pursuit of the lost. Spoken by Jesus in response to criticism from religious leaders who were offended by His association with sinners, this story is a powerful image of divine mercy. Every single person matters to Him. The one lost sheep is worth seeking, not because of its usefulness or merit, but because it belongs to the Shepherd.
Parable of the Lost Sheep
Illustration by Annie Vallotton, from the Good News Bible. Image courtesy of Rotation.org
This parable teaches that God's mercy is not passive - it is active and pursuing. He doesn't wait for the lost to find their way back - He goes after them. And when they are found, there is no scolding or punishment. Instead, there is joy. Jesus says, 'There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance'. The image of the shepherd carrying the sheep on his shoulders is deeply comforting. It tells us that when we are weak, broken or lost, God doesn't demand that we walk back on our own. He lifts us. He bears the burden. His grace restores us, not by merit, but by mercy.
Like the shepherd, we too are called to reflect this grace. Rather than judging those who stray, we are to value them and rejoice when they return. The parable challenges any self-righteous tendency to look down on others or to think we are more deserving of God's love. If God rejoices over one lost soul, so should we. It also reminds us that no one is ever too far gone. God's mercy welcomes the repentant with open arms, no matter how far they've wandered.
In a world quick to condemn, am I an example of Jesus - am I quick to seek, to lift up and rejoice when someone finds Jesus?
The Lost Coin
Scripture Reference Luke 15:8-10
Alongside the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son, this short but powerful story reveals God's heart for those who are lost and His deep joy when they are found. Jesus tells of a woman who has ten silver coins - likely her drachmas, possibly her life savings. When she loses one, she lights a lamp, sweeps the house and searches carefully until she finds it. And when she does, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost!' Jesus concludes, 'There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents'. Though brief, this parable carries profound meaning. A single coin might seem insignificant in comparison to the nine still in her possession, but to this woman, it is incredibly valuable. She doesn't dismiss the loss as minor or unimportant - she diligently turns her house upside down to recover it. In this way, Jesus emphasizes that every individual is precious to God. No one is disposable. No one is beneath His attention.
Unlike the sheep, which wanders off or the son, who willfully rebels, the coin is lost unintentionally - it has no ability to move itself or find its way back. Yet the woman searches with focused intensity. This speaks to those who may feel spiritually lost not because of rebellion, but because of neglect, harm or circumstances beyond their control. Even then, God actively seeks them out. The woman's rejoicing mirrors the joy of heaven. There is celebration in God's presence every time someone turns back to Him. This joy is not reserved for crowds or the well-known, but for the one - the overlooked, the broken, the forgotten. Every individual is precious to God, and heaven rejoices over each one who is found. He does not overlook anyone, even the seemingly insignificant matter deeply to Him.
This parable also calls us to reflect God's heart. Do we see the worth of each person as He does? Are we willing to search for and value those whom society may deem insignificant? Grace doesn't only look for the dramatic return of a prodigal - it looks for the quietly missing, the silently struggling, the easily overlooked.
How do I look at people around me? Is it with the compassion of Jesus?
The Unforgiving Servant
Scripture Reference Matt 18:21-35
In the story, a king decides to settle accounts with his servants. One is brought before him who owes an unthinkable debt - ten thousand talents, an amount so large it would be impossible to repay in a lifetime. Unable to pay, the servant begs for mercy. The king, moved with compassion, forgives the entire debt and releases him. But that same servant goes out and finds a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller amount - a hundred denarii. He grabs him by the throat, demands payment and shows no mercy. When the second servant pleads for time, he is thrown into prison. Word reaches the king, who is outraged. He calls the first servant back and says, 'Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' In anger, the king hands him over to the torturers until the debt is paid. Jesus ends the parable with a solemn warning, 'So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses'.
This story delivers a sobering but essential message - those who have received God's forgiveness must extend that same forgiveness to others. Spoken in response to Peter's question - 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus answers with a resounding 'seventy times seven' and then tells this parable to illustrate just how serious God is about mercy. This parable strikes at the heart of grace and justice. The first servant represents each of us - debtors who could never repay what we owe to God. Yet God, in His mercy, has forgiven us fully. Our sins, no matter how great, have been erased at tremendous cost at the cross. But if we then refuse to forgive others - if we hold grudges, demand repayment or harbor bitterness, we reveal a disconnect between what we've received and how we live.
Jesus is not saying that forgiveness is easy or that justice doesn't matter. Rather, He's reminding us that we are called to mirror God's mercy. When we withhold forgiveness, we dishonor the grace we've been given. Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting or enabling harm - it means releasing the debt, just as God released ours. Those forgiven by God must forgive others just as generously. We cannot hold on to grudges - we have to show mercy, remembering how much God has forgiven us.
The parable is a challenge and a comfort. It reminds us that forgiveness is not optional for those who follow Christ - it is a response to grace. But it also reassures us - if God expects this from us, it means He also empowers us to do it. We are not alone in the struggle to forgive!
Do I hold on to grudges or do I show mercy and forgive? Do I reflect the heart of my King.