What Do You Deserve?

I guess I’m glad I misheard. At first I was disappointed. But now that I think about it, I’m glad I misheard it, because if I had heard it the right way the first time I might have thought nothing of it.

In the movie Cinderella 3 Anastasia ends up giving back the gift the prince’s father gave to her. Through a spell the prince thought he loved Anastasia, not Cinderella. Since he was going to marry Anastasia the king gave her a gift that had been special to him and his wife who was now deceased. He said it was a symbol of true love.

When everything got resolved at the end and the prince ended up marrying (again) his true love Cinderella, Anastasia gave the gift back to the king with the words “I don’t deserve this.” The king put it back in her hand with the words “Everyone deserves true love.”

When I first saw the movie I thought he had said “No one deserves true love.” (As is often the case when kids movies are on around here, I’m catching bits and pieces of the movie rather than giving my full attention to it.)

But when I heard what I thought I had heard I was struck at how profound that was. It was a great moment. A great truth. Who would have thought that in a double sequel such a profound truth could be uttered?

Well the other day the kids were watching it again and when it was coming to that scene I was excited because I could hear again that great line. I was disappointed when I heard what the actual words were: “Everyone deserves true love.” Man—it’s too bad they didn’t consult me in the script writing.

Anyway, I guess for Disney that’s a truth. But think how much more awesome of a moment, of a truth, it is if the king says to this girl who is broken and admits to the king she doesn’t deserve true love—“No one deserves true love.” Not even Cinderella. Not even my son, the prince. Not just you, no one. The reason I’m giving this to you is not because you deserve it, but because you don’t. It’s because I want to give it to you.

Wow. This is what should have happened in the movie. I guess I’ll have to write Cinderella 4.

The script of the way it should be has been written, however. It’s not about Cinderella, though. Or Anastasia. It’s about you. It’s about everyone, in fact. Because the simple fact is, no one deserves true love. But that’s exactly what we get. True love. The love of the Father giving His own Son for the sin of the world.

What do you deserve? Not what you get. What do you get? What you don’t deserve. We don’t deserve love but punishment for our sin. What God in His grace gives us instead is true love—the forgiveness of sins and an eternal place in heaven.