Forgiven
Much
47 Therefore
I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he
who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said
to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at
table with him began to say among[h] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives
sins?” Luke 7:47-49 NIV
I gasped and my heart skipped a beat when he looked into my
eyes. It was as if in a moment he knew
everything about me. He knew all the men
by whose side I had slept. He knew all of
the rejection, bitterness anger and loneliness that has consumed me
inside. He knew my many failed attempts
to change and be a better person. Even
my expensive perfume did not hide the stench of my soul within. He knew me, but his look gave me hope.
Then a weightiness that I had never known before filled my
heart. I could not carry this feeling
another day, in fact not even another moment.
Shouts in my head kept telling me how awful of a person I was. Failure, deceiver, homewrecker, full of lust,
wicked woman replayed again and again inside.
But a whisper of hope circled about….he can make you clean.
Clean escapes me. I
have washed again and again, but my heart still condemns. Could he really make me clean again? I will give him the only thing of worth that
I have. This very expensive oil will I
pour out on his feet. If only will he
let me touch him? I am unclean, not
holy.
I slipped by everyone as quickly as I could and knelled at
Jesus feet. Tears poured forth that had
been stored up for years. They fell upon
his feet. I poured the oil, not some,
but all of it and the fragrance filled the room. With my hair I wiped and washed his feet
clean. I could tell that He who is holy,
let me touch him.
Woman your sins are forgiven!
I’m clean. I don’t know if you understand the joy that
is racing through my entire being. The
weight is gone. I can breathe again.
Hope is no longer a word for others, it is coursing through my veins. I am changed.
Somehow I know I will never ever go back to that life again.
The Pharisee who had invited Jesus into his home was
conflicted by what was happening. If
Jesus claimed to be from God…how could he let what is evidently so unclean on
so many levels…touch him? The scriptures
are clear that a man set apart by God should remain holy by touching no unclean
thing. Yet this Jesus has let her cry
and wipe her hair on his feet.
Jesus reminded the Pharisee that he who is forgiven much,
loves much. No act of kindness was
expressed by the Pharisee toward Jesus as he entered the home…but she washed
his feet.
1. 1.
No matter
how ugly our sin is…we can still approach Jesus. Even if your sin was today!
2. 2.
Only Jesus can remove sin and all its ugliness
from our lives.
3. 3.
Time does not remove sin…but confession to Jesus
for forgiveness does
4.4.
Jesus absorbs our sin into his death on the
cross, and then imparts (puts clean clothes on) his holiness on our lives. Just-as-if-ied never sinned.
5. 5
To be made right with God…everyone comes to him
the same way…broken, contrite, and humbly
How are you expressing your deep love to Jesus? The Pharisee witnessed more than just inward
appreciation, he saw love tangibly expressed.
