Do you feel like you have been forgiven much, or do you feel like you have been forgiven little? Or in other words, have you had a life before salvation that required much forgiveness, or have you always been a “good” person, and therefore think that you didn’t have much to be forgiven? As for me, perhaps because I came to salvation at age 30, I lived a life that required much forgiveness. There was a lot that happened in my life that I was ashamed about, but not any more, because I know that I have been forgiven. Once, when Jesus was reclining at a table at a Pharisee’s house, a woman who was known about the town as being a sinner, a big sinner, came in with an alabaster jar of fragrant oil. She stood behind Jesus and began to wash His feet with her tears, and wipe them with her hair. Then she began kissing His feet and anointing His feet with the fragrant oil she brought with her. The Pharisee was disgusted, but not necessarily with the woman, but with Jesus because if He really was a prophet, He would know who this was that touched Him. Certainly no one else would allow that to happen to them. Jesus told him this parable: “A creditor had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, and the other 50. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more? Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one he forgave more.” You have judged correctly,’ He told him. Turning to the woman, He said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for My feet, but she, with her tears, has washed My feet and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint My head with olive oil, but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little loves little. Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven. Those who were at the table with Him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this man who even forgives sins?’ And He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Luke 7:41-50 Even though all of us should have the understanding that such a great salvation has been given us, all of us should love much, because of it. But I wonder if we love Jesus as much as the woman did? Would we look at her as a picture of our own sin, or would we look at her like the Pharisee did. Would it cause us to fall on our knees and weep because of the depth of our own sin, or would we pompously wonder why He would bother with someone with that much sin. I have often said that I am thankful that Jesus saved me, because I wouldn’t save me. With the things I have done not only to others, but to the Lord Himself, I would never have accepted me. But Jesus did, and I know He loves me and forgives me. And because of that I love Him more than I can even imagine. What about you? Do you see your life as not being that bad, so your love for the Lord doesn’t seem to be that dramatic? Maybe we should insert our name in the verses where the woman is talked about, and realize that whatever shape we think we were in before we accepted Jesus as Lord, We owe Him a debt we could never pay, but He forgave the debt. Just like that! All because of love. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Pastor Andy
Barnabas Man 