What We’re Entitled To - Matthew 27:11-31

Have you ever heard of the lady who sued McDonald’s restaurant and won because her coffee was too hot? The story was a national sensation in the early 90s. It became a joke throughout the country and was considered another example of frivolous lawsuits. You pictured a woman getting her coffee at the drive-thru, speeding off to work, spilling a little bit, burning herself, and winding up wildly rich. 

The common sentiment was that there was no way this woman was entitled to anything from McDonald’s. Well, the rest of the story was that she was a 79 year-old woman; she was not driving, her grandson took her to the drive-thru and then parked the car so she could put cream and sugar in her coffee. She placed the cup between her knees to remove the lid, and spilled the entire cup in her lap. She incurred third degree burns and required skin grafting and hospitalization. 

She originally sought a settlement of $20,000 to cover her medical bills and loss of wages. But the restaurant refused, and eventually a 12-person jury determined that their coffee-temperature standards were excessive and dangerous, and McDonald’s was 80% responsible for the injuries. In the end, they settled out of court for somewhere around $600,000. 

Did the woman deserve the money? Did McDonald’s deserve the penalty? Who knows. But it brings up a good question: how do we determine what someone is entitled to? What do you think you’re entitled to in life? What do you feel you deserve? 

Each of us could most likely produce two sets of answers to the question. One set of answers contains the things we could list in a conversation. You might point to the grace of God and describe what you don’t deserve. Or you may bring up your rights as an American citizen or the hard work you’ve done in life to name things that you deserve.

But I think each of us could produce another set of answers to the question. This list reflects how we think and feel each day, how we act and how we speak. Whether we readily admit it or not, there are things we think we’re entitled to in life. If we could make this list, it might help us understand why we respond to our circumstances the way we do, because on the list are things which, if they are withheld from us, lead us to be angry, or sad, or discontent, or even depressed.

Simply put, each of us believes, deep down, that there are things we deserve in this life, and when we don’t get them, it’s an injustice and life is not all that it could and should be for us. This is one characteristic of the sinful nature: possessing a false sense of entitlement, while, at the same, being blind to what we actually deserve. This goes back to Genesis 3: the serpent arguing that mankind was entitled to more than God was willing to give them. A false sense of entitlement comes naturally. 

But the finished work of Jesus addresses this. Jesus put aside what he was entitled to and endured the opposite of what he deserved. And when we look to Jesus, we begin to understand what we’re entitled to. But when we look to him, what do we see? 

Three things demonstrated in these verses. We see that Jesus deserved to be exonerated, chosen, and honored. He was entitled to these things. But instead, he was incriminated, rejected, and mocked. What happened to Jesus was not merely circumstantial. It was no coincidence. Each event speaks deeply to our sense of entitlement. So let’s look at them together.

Jesus is taken to Pontius Pilate, a regional governor in the Roman Empire. The chief priests and elders of Israel already condemned Jesus, but they needed Pilate to carry out sentencing and punishment. Under Roman rule, they could not put Jesus to death. He needed to be convicted in a Roman court. 

So Pilate asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews, and Jesus confirms it. However, that is the only accusation to which Jesus responds. He remains silent. The prophet Isaiah said he would. Isaiah wrote, “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” Jesus is innocent, but he does not defend himself. Jesus deserved to be exonerated. In other words, absolved of all blame. Not just acquitted. A person can be guilty and still be acquitted. Jesus deserved to be vindicated. He was entitled to be cleared of all wrongdoing. But here he is, purposely filling the role of a person with zero defense.

In a couple weeks we will read Habakkuk 2:20, “YHWH is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” Why silence? Because we have no defense. We have no case. To go to the cross for the sins of his people, Jesus had to put aside his case for exoneration. He put aside being understood. He prized something other than being acknowledged as right.

I know that with the virus we are all tired of hearing statistics. But here’s an interesting one to think about: The rate of wrongful convictions in the United States is estimated to be somewhere between 2 to 10 percent. Our justice system isn’t perfect. Many people have served time for crimes of which they were later found innocent. What a tragedy, to be imprisoned for a crime you didn’t commit. To be innocent, but found guilty!

How many times have you been guilty of sin against someone, but you defended yourself as innocent? Do you love to be right? Do you feel entitled to being correctly understood by everyone? If people just understood you, they would see that you’re innocent. Do you believe you deserve to be seen as right when you’re right? Jesus shows us that there is something more valuable than being seen as right. Do you see what it is? Selfless humility. Laying down what you are technically entitled to for the sake of someone else.

This is what Jesus did for those he saved. Romans 5 says Jesus did this for us, “while we were enemies” of God. While we were still devoted to sin, Christ died for us. Humility is not just loving and serving your family and friends. Jesus says it’s loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you. 

Humility is not so concerned with what we think we’re entitled to. Isn’t it fascinating how often we want to be cleared, when really we’re guilty of something? Is your happiness or contentment tied to a need to be seen as right? Jesus did not need that. Nor did he need to be seen as worthy of being chosen. Notice these next verses.

Roman law gave Pilate the authority to release a condemned prisoner of the Jews’ choosing.  This seems to have been a tradition at the time of Passover or an act of goodwill toward the Jews. “I’ll scratch your back and you scratch mine.” Pilate had a political rebel named Barabbas in custody.  Barabbas was guilty of insurrection against the Roman government. 

Throughout the book of Matthew we’ve seen that the Jews wanted their national freedom. It is possible that the two thieves crucified on each side of Jesus were also political rebels, and they were guilty of more than just stealing. Stealing alone was not a capital offense in the Roman empire. It didn’t draw a death sentence. But trying to overthrow the Empire did. Some scholars think that three crosses were already prepared for Barabbas and these two “robbers.” In fact, the apostle John says that Barabbas was a “robber” and uses the same word that Matthew uses to describe the men who died next to Jesus.

Barabbas had shown violent zeal for Jewish freedom. He was willing to fight the Romans. Jesus obviously was not. And so the crowd rejects Jesus and chooses Barabbas. This wasn’t a new thing for Israel. From the time they got their first king, they wanted a leader like those of the other nations. They had worldly standards. Same song, different verse. 

The crowd was given the opportunity to choose Jesus. Jesus was entitled to being chosen. But he purposely filled the role of the rejected. For the crowd, with the chief priests and elders egging them on, there was nothing special about Jesus. Isaiah 53, “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men.” Was Jesus special? Absolutely. Did it need them to acknowledge it? Not at all.

Often, when people meet famous individuals whom they admire, they are taken back by the pretentiousness and arrogance of the person. I’ve repeatedly heard, “Don’t ever meet your heroes. You will be disappointed.” Why? Many times, the person is special, and they know it. They act like it and it’s repulsive. I was refreshed many years ago when my family and I met a highly touted college football player who was about to go pro. He was so polite and respectful.

He seemed genuinely thankful that we wanted to meet him. I hope he’s still that way, because now he’s very famous.

Do you ever feel entitled to be recognized or special or chosen? Have you felt you deserved something that you were denied? What have you lost during this pandemic, or what have you missed out on, that you feel you are entitled to?

Do you find yourself angry or sad because what you deserved was taken away from you? And yet, if you try to think objectively about it, are you truly entitled to it? In our day and age, we enjoy a host of things that we really aren’t entitled to. But we feel that we are. 

You’ve likely enjoyed many wonderful things in your life that others have not. Do you know that the Scriptures say that all of it is a gift; that ultimately, every good thing comes from the hand of God? In John ch. 3, John the Baptist said, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”  Anything we enjoy or profit from is only ours because God chooses to give it. 

Do you think you received anything from God by your own merit, that what you have you are entitled to? Why should God choose to bless you and not someone else? Jesus did not die for folks who deserved to be chosen. He took the place of people who deserved to be rejected. 

That’s why he willingly submitted to rejection. Notice in these verses that Jesus remained silent and an undeserving rebel went free. And rebels have been going free ever since.

Do you see your life this way? That everything is a gift from the Lord? God gives grace. Have you received his grace? Have you come to him on his terms, by faith in the Son of God? Or do you think you are worthy of being chosen? Do you need to be seen as worthy? Because the only Worthy One, Jesus Christ, deserved to be chosen, but he put it aside to suffer and die for the unworthy.

Jesus also deserved to be honored. The crowds called for Jesus’ crucifixion, thought Pilate knew he did not deserve it. After all, verse 23, Pilate responds, “Why, what evil has he done?”

Pilate tries to shift blame to the people with this act of washing his hands, but he is just as guilty. It was within his power to set Jesus free. But he was afraid of the mob. His job was to appease the people. And though Jesus was their king, though he is God, and was their Savior and Lord, entitled to all honor and praise, he was delivered to be crucified. 

Verses 27-31 give a graphic account of mockery and dishonor. These Roman soldiers brutally make fun of Jesus for his claim to kingship. They amuse themselves by ridiculing Jesus for what he thinks he’s entitled to. They give him the opposite of honor, praise, worship, and adoration. 

But Jesus willingly absorbs it. He didn’t just think he was entitled to the honor. He actually was. But he endured the shame of someone who puffs themselves up to be something they are not. Frank Abagnale came to prominence about 18 years ago when a movie was made about him.

As a teenager, Abagnale began to make and pass off counterfeit checks. But then he got into impersonation. He successfully posed as an airline pilot, a college teaching assistant, a doctor, and a lawyer, before being arrested and imprisoned. Leonardo DiCaprio played Abagnale in the movie, and when he was finally arrested in France, the part of the arresting officer was played by...Frank Abagnale. 

Do you make yourself out to be something you are not? Do you want honor and praise? Do you want to be admired, loved, made much of? Do you want to make a name for yourself? Does it make you angry, or sad, or depressed when you don’t get the credit you deserve? 

In your pursuit of credit, have you tried to take God’s glory for yourself? Isaiah 42, God says, “I am YHWH; that is my name; my glory I give to no other.” Any credit we think we have coming truly belongs to God Almighty alone. Psalm 95 says, “come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before YHWH, our Maker!”

Jesus is the innocent one, the chosen one, the honorable and righteous one. Why would he put aside what he was entitled to? He’s already made it clear in the gospel of Matthew: to pay the punishment we are entitled to. 

We love to be right; we love to be special. We love the place of honor. We think we deserve these things. In our hearts we are mad at God when we don’t get them, when God’s wrath is what we’re naturally entitled to.

But that’s not the whole story. Jesus paid that cost for his people. He paid it all. And those who trust in him as our Savior and King are now entitled to something else. In Christ, we are entitled to freedom from sin and death; we are entitled to life. To be “in Christ” is to be entitled to all that Jesus himself is entitled to because He has secured peace with God for us.

And see, when you know Christ in this way and you set your heart on Him, you can enjoy everything in life as a good gift from God, and you can endure the trials of life without a false sense of entitlement, looking to the Entitled One, the Deserving One, who paid your debt, raised your life up from the dead, and restored you to God.

Let’s pray together.