When Grace Breaks Our Expectations
If you’ve ever felt unsettled by the idea of God’s grace, you’re not alone. At first glance, grace can feel downright unfair. We live in a world where everything is measured by performance, merit, and results. The hardest worker deserves the promotion. The fastest runner gets the medal. The kindest person is most worthy of respect.
But then grace interrupts. It sweeps in and gives love, forgiveness, and blessing where none was earned. It pardons the guilty, restores the broken, and lifts the undeserving. Instead of rewarding those who “deserve it most,” grace often flows to those who least expect it.
Grace and Human Logic
We naturally operate in a world of fairness. From childhood, we’re taught the rule of cause and effect: behave well, and you’re rewarded; act poorly, and you’re punished. This system makes sense — it keeps order, motivates effort, and provides justice.
But grace disrupts this equation. Instead of giving people what they deserve, grace gives them what they don’t deserve: mercy, kindness, and forgiveness.
Why We Resist Grace
- We prefer control. Earning something makes us feel secure, while receiving freely makes us feel vulnerable.
- We crave fairness. If someone “worse” gets the same gift we receive, it unsettles us.
- We fear losing justice. Grace can feel like it undermines accountability.
And yet, grace doesn’t cancel justice — it satisfies it in a deeper way through Christ.
The Parable That Exposes Our Hearts
One of the most striking illustrations of grace comes from Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16).
In the story, workers are hired at different times of the day — some early in the morning, others only an hour before quitting time. At the end of the day, the owner pays them all the same full wage. Naturally, those who worked the longest cry out, “That’s not fair!”
But the owner gently reminds them that they agreed to their wage and that his generosity to others doesn’t take away from what they received.
What This Story Reveals
- Grace offends our sense of fairness.
- God’s generosity isn’t based on effort but on His character.
- Comparison blinds us to the joy of receiving undeserved mercy.
The parable reminds us that grace is never earned — it’s always a gift.
Jesus: The Embodiment of “Unfair” Grace
If we want to see grace in its clearest form, we look at Jesus. His ministry constantly overturned social and religious expectations.
Grace for the Outcasts
Jesus consistently showed love to those considered unworthy:
- Tax collectors — despised for collaborating with Rome.
- Samaritans — treated as outsiders.
- Prostitutes and sinners — shamed and rejected by society.
Instead of condemning them, He ate with them, spoke to them, and restored their dignity. His actions baffled the religious leaders who prided themselves on moral performance.
Grace at the Cross
The ultimate act of unfair grace happened at Calvary. The sinless Son of God took on the punishment humanity deserved and offered forgiveness to the guilty. Justice was satisfied through His sacrifice, and grace was poured out freely to all who believe.
From a human standpoint, it was wildly unjust: the innocent punished, the guilty pardoned. But from God’s standpoint, it was perfect love.
Why Grace Still Shocks Us Today
Even after hearing the gospel, many of us wrestle with grace. We try to earn God’s favour through good deeds or punish ourselves when we fail. Others may feel bitter when someone who lived a life of rebellion turns to Christ and receives the same salvation.
The Modern Struggle with Grace
- Performance culture: Our world celebrates achievement, so free gifts feel uncomfortable.
- Cancel culture: Society thrives on exposing faults, while grace offers forgiveness.
- Self-righteousness: We want to believe we’re better than “those people.”
Grace remains radical because it cuts against every human instinct to measure, compare, and control.
Living in the Freedom of Grace
If grace feels unsettling, how do we actually live in it?
Learning to Receive Grace
Receiving grace means laying down our pride. It’s admitting we cannot save ourselves and accepting God’s love as a gift. This humility frees us from striving to prove our worth.
Extending Grace to Others
Grace isn’t meant to stop with us — it flows through us. That means forgiving when it’s undeserved, showing kindness to those who hurt us, and welcoming the outsider. This doesn’t mean ignoring truth or excusing harm, but it does mean choosing mercy over vengeance.
Why the “Unfairness” of Grace Is the Good News
The very thing that makes grace feel unfair is what makes it such good news. If grace were fair, it would only go to the most deserving — and none of us would qualify. Romans 3:23 reminds us that all fall short of God’s standard.
But because grace is not fair, it’s available to everyone. No past mistake disqualifies you. No background excludes you. No failure is too great.
As theologian Philip Yancey once wrote, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more… and nothing we can do to make God love us less.” That’s the upside-down, heart-revolutionary truth.
The Beauty of Grace’s “Unfairness”
Grace isn’t meant to fit inside the tidy box of human logic. It’s meant to shock us, humble us, and draw us into awe at God’s love. The very reason it feels unfair is the reason it’s so precious: it gives us what we could never earn and always need.
So next time grace unsettles you, let that discomfort remind you of its power. Because the good news is not that God is fair — it’s that He is gracious.
👉 To explore this more deeply, you might enjoy this resource from Bible Project, which unpacks how grace runs through the entire story of Scripture.
