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by Steve Ousley
A few weeks ago in the Sunday School class covering Luke, we progressed to the story of Jesus eating at the house of Simon the Pharisee. It is one of my favorite passages of scripture. In NASB it reads as follows:
LUKE 7:36 ¶ Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him. And He entered the Pharisee's house, and reclined {at the table.}
37 And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining {at the table} in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,
38 and standing behind {Him} at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher."
41 "A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?"
43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."
44 And turning toward 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 has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair.
45 "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.
46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.
47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."
48 And He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."
49 And those who were reclining {at the table} with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this {man} who even forgives sins?"
50 And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
There is much in these verses, but one thing stands out. If I am forgiven much it will lead to love and gratefulness in my heart toward the Lord. Even the unbelieving Simon could understand this. What he probably did not grasp was the fact that Simon himself was as much a sinner as this woman of bad reputation. He was too self-righteous to admit his sin and accept forgiveness.
If you find yourself this morning with little love and gratefulness toward the Lord, consider whether you have forgotten how much the Lord has forgiven you. Look in His word and see where He set the standard, and how far away from the standard you are. Read of His payment for your sin on the cross, and then thank Him for saving you from your sin. Having this grateful heart will also have other effects, including love for other believers and a true witness to the world of the power and authenticity of Christ. The apostle John elaborated:
1 JOHN 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
JOHN 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Remember what He has done for you, and show the world through your love that you are forgiven.
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