Jesus descended from both kings and prostitutes.

Before King David became Jesus’ ancestor, Rahab the prostitute joined Jesus’ family line. She had nothing to offer but a little faith.

Rahab, in turn, became the mother of Boaz, the man who married Ruth, the Moabite great-grandmother of King David. Ruth didn’t share in the Jewish faith at first either. Even so, God brought her into Jesus’ ancestral tree.

Then Jesus was born and God’s grace continued to show itself through His life.

Jesus welcomed spiritual law-breakers and those rejected by society. He touched lepers, the blind, the possessed, and the disabled. He ate at the homes of sinners. He let adulterous women touch His feet. He looked past the clean white clothes of the religious leaders, their grand prayers, and their showy tithing and praised those that society called undeserving.

“Today, you will be with Me in heaven,” He told the criminal crucified next to Him. Even murderous Saul, who sought out early church members to imprison, was forgiven and swept into the faith.

God’s grace has been available since sin began. His grace is a life-long, non-judgmental offer. We can take heart in this: if we don’t deserve God’s goodness, then we are just the people He wants to give it to.