Entitled

SCRIPTURE:
Luke 23:34 NLT - … "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

OBSERVATION:
Not much has changed in 2,000 years. Humanity still feels “entitled” to what it had no part in—salvation. When the guilty demand to be treated as if innocent, a problem arises. But with every problem, there is a solution—Jesus.

If you do a quick online search for the word entitled, this is what you find:

The word 'entitled' has two main meanings: it can mean having a right to something, or it can describe someone who acts as if they have special privileges without earning them.
 
Definitions and Usage:

1. Having a right or claim: This is a neutral and formal use of the word, often seen in legal or official contexts.
   1. Example: “This ticket entitles the bearer to free admission.”
2. Believing one deserves special privileges: This is a negative, informal use that refers to a “sense of entitlement.”
   1. Example: “Entitled individuals often feel they deserve perfect treatment and don't consider what they receive as a gift, but as a right.”

This was the attitude of the day in Luke chapter 23—and it persists today.

The chapter begins with a kangaroo court—an unofficial court held by a group of people determined to find someone guilty, especially without good evidence.

Luke 23:1-2 NLT - Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. They began to state their case: "This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king."

They brought false charges. None of them was true. In fact, Jesus was entirely innocent, while the religious leaders were guilty of lying in their testimonies.

Three times in this chapter, Jesus’ innocence was declared—each time met with shouts of opposition.

• Herod and Pilate (vv. 13–16)
• The criminal on the cross (vv. 39–43)
• The Roman officer (vv. 47–48)

They all said the same thing: Innocent!

Just as we see three times that Jesus was declared innocent, we also see three examples of people claiming entitlement:

• The religious leaders (vv. 18–25)
• The crowd and soldiers (vv. 35–38)
• The second criminal on the cross (v. 39)

Yet, despite man's attempts to claim entitlement, God had a plan.

APPLICATION:
The sobering truth is this: we are not entitled to salvation, but salvation has entitled us.
It may seem like a contradiction, but it’s not.

We need to recognize that we are not good enough, do enough, work enough, or have the religious background of a “saint” to believe we deserve salvation.

Romans 3:23-25 NLT - For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past…

Since salvation is a gift of grace—unearned, undeserved, and given to those who don't deserve it—we are entitled to its benefits: forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Romans 6:23 NLT - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us understand what our “entitlement” truly means through the words of Jesus on the cross:

Luke 23:34 NLT - … "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

We cannot demand salvation—only accept it as a gift. Use your entitlement wisely!

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for the cross. Thank You that through it I have the right—the entitlement—to salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. Not because of me or what I deserve; if it were, I would deserve punishment, damnation, and eternal separation from You. All glory, honor, praise, and all I am belongs to You—for I am entitled to nothing except what You have freely given.