Luke 15:1-7, Cheap Grace “Refined”

For the first time ever, I am quoting AI.  I’m not necessarily proud of the fact.  Nevertheless … I recently watched the movie “Bonhoeffer” of which AI says …

Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer popularized the term "cheap grace" in his book The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer used the term to describe the belief that once someone is "saved", all sins are forgiven, past and future, and they can behave as they please. He contrasted cheap grace with costly grace, which he described as the call of Jesus Christ to follow him.

According to Wikipedia, the other “omniscient” (sarcasm) source of our day, there is a little addition we can make …

Unlike Bonhoeffer's later writings, The Cost of Discipleship has been widely read by both conservative and liberal Christians and is still read and quoted today. The term "cheap grace" was coined by The Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., then-pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, NY.

I know this to be the case because that’s what Hollywood said in the movie.  Prior to this, I had not been aware of Bonhoeffer’s connection with Black Gospel Music.

With all of this, we come to the Gospel of Luke and Jesus’ teaching in the amazing 15^th chapter: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.  In that chapter I believe we have a different definition of “cheap grace.”  It is the attitude of the Pharisees and scribes who considered themselves to be in need of “less grace” than the “sinners.”  They cheapen grace by diminishing their sinfulness.  This is different than what Bonhoeffer and Powell were talking about when we live sinful lives as believers in Christ and seem to have no problem with our sin after having made a profession of faith.  You can think about that, consider it, and so forth. 

But I am concerned about this Luke 15 “cheap grace.”  And Christ raised the issue often.  Jesus agreed with Jeremiah who said the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it (Jer. 17:9)?  Jesus said that uncleanness is what comes out of a person: evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, lewdness and so forth (Mk. 7:20-23).  He described the heart of a man as full-on evil.  The only grace that could fix this would be very expensive.

The Pharisee praying, Aren’t you glad God, I’m not like this sinner, cheapened grace.  The unforgiving servant, who had no clue of the great debt of which he had been forgiven, cheapened grace when he would not forgive his neighbor a truly small debt.  The woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair loved greatly because she was greatly forgiven; the Pharisee in whose house it happened cheapened God’s grace by his self-righteousness.  The prodigal said, “I am not worthy.”  His brother said, “why is there such a big hoopla about my worthless brother.”  Cheap grace!