This whole thing started with Jonah running from God and his mission and going to Tarshish instead of Nineveh, right? Why did he run? Not because he was scared of the people, not because it would be uncomfortable, although that probably played a part, but the main reason was because he didn’t think it would be fair if the Assyrians repented that God would be merciful and save them. He knew that if he took the message of salvation to the Ninevites that they would probably repent and if they repented God would save them… and he didn’t think that that was fair. Is he right? Is it fair? Perhaps you are like Jonah this morning and you struggle with the mercy of God poured out on sinners. Perhaps you are aware of this struggle… most likely you are not.

Of course that’s not fair. None of these are fair. And that’s the point. The love, forgiveness, and mercy of God to save us sinners is utterly and completely unfair. And in order for us to embrace the mission of taking the Gospel to the lost, we must accept this fact and more importantly understand why it’s not fair. Why? Because if we are to become mission minded, we must understand the mind of Christ in saving those who do not deserve salvation. The point today is clear… The Mercy of God is Completely Unfair. That’s Why It Cost An Equally Unfair Price

But what if you struggle with the unfair mercy of God and you don’t even know it? I think most Christian would say… what’s wrong with Jonah… why’s he being like that… of course God mercifully saves sinners and thats a good thing. Why would we think of it as unfair. Okay, I get that… but let me ask you this. What about someone like Samuel Tannyhill who while robbing a dinner in 1955 was recognized by one of the waitresses who called out his name. He took that young waitress to a bridge where he shot her in he head and dumped her in the river. That waitress was someone’s daughter… and Samuel just murdered her in cold blood. Surely he deserved the electric chair and the hot embers of hell that awaited him right? But he never felt the burn of those embers. You see, he repented of his sins while in prison and accepted Christ and now dances the streets of glory for all eternity. Is that fair?

So get this… God gave himself over to the most excruciating death anyone could ever endure to take his wrath upon himself… the wrath that we all deserved. We the creation who deserved hell, are spared hell, because God the creator endured hell in our place. Now, Is it fair that God had to send himself in the form of Jesus Christ to die in our place… the sinless for the sinful? Is that fair? Nope… it’s the most unfair thing ever! So be careful when you ask for fairness. You’ve been given salvation, the most unfair mercy of all time.