We Are Not Worthy But We Are Worth It

After witnessing the miracle of catching so many fish that their boat started to sink, Simon says to Jesus, in essence, "Lord, depart from me, for I am not worthy." I can imagine Peter kneeling at the Savior's feet and Jesus reaching out to cup Simon's face in His hand, saying, "Oh, Simon, that is precisely why I cannot depart. I came not for the worthy, nor for them that are whole, but for the unworthy and the sick and afflicted. It has never been about worthiness. Just because you are not worthy does not mean that you are not worth it." We often feel that we do not deserve God's mercy or grace or forgiveness. We are right. We don't deserve it. We are not worthy of it. But that has never been the point. Christ didn't make the infinite sacrifice because we earned it, or because He felt He owed us. He gave up His life because He loves us. He suffered the pain of every living creature because He cared more about our happiness than His own. He is never repulsed or disgusted or resentful of our presence. He will never turn us away because we have too much of the world's filth on us. He will not abandon us or depart from us. He does not care that we are not worthy, because He knows that we are worth it.