He Who is Forgiven Much, Loves Most

One of my all-time favorite stories about Jesus is this one (Luke 7:36-50). It is a story about forgiveness, and I love to talk about forgiveness because it is God’s wonderful gift to all of us. This story begins with a Pharisee named Simon who invites Jesus to eat with him.  Simon’s resentment of Jesus shows up in his refusal to give Jesus the common courtesies due any dinner guest. It was expected that the host would greet each of his guests with a kiss, wash their feet, and anoint each with oil, but none of these things were done for Jesus.

Simon’s house most likely had a patio where special meals were served that was visible to onlookers. The guests reclined at low tables with their feet extending away from the table. It wasn’t unusual for people to stop and observe the dinner in progress.

A woman came in without an invitation, and she came up behind Jesus and wept, letting her tears fall on Jesus' feet. The woman’s emotions exploded as she unleashed a stream of tears that mixed with the dirt from Jesus’ feet. With his feet so wet, she unloosed her hair and dried them. The resentment toward the intruding woman mounted because women were not supposed to loosen their hair in public.  In addition, she repeatedly kissed his feet and poured perfume on them. Completely uninhibited, she wept unashamedly and expressed her love for Jesus. The greater shock however was toward Jesus because he did not stop her.

She had come because of her gratitude. Somewhere she had encountered Jesus, and his words had gone straight to her heart. What a life-changing experiencing that had been—standing there listening to Jesus. She felt hope for the first time. As a result, she repented of her sinful life and found forgiveness. As the fragrance filled the whole room, so did the suspicion of Jesus. No one spoke out loud or even mumbled under their breath. Simon thought to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39).

First, we see grace in the life of Jesus as he reaches out to a sinner. Then we see grace in the life of a forgiven sinner. Jesus contrasts the woman who knows she has sinned with Simon who thinks he is a good person. The woman takes advantage of the opportunity to express gratitude for the grace of God that has come to her life. Simon did not feel that way. Imagine, sitting at his table was the King of Kings, and he never reached out to him. When you think about it, we shouldn’t be too hard on Simon because that is what many of us do. When we are seated at the same spiritual table with Jesus, we neglect the opportunity to reach out to him. We refuse to break open our lives and share our hearts and pour out our most treasured gifts with Him.

Jesus told a parable about two people with two debts, one enormous and the other much smaller. Both people had the same problem and that is they couldn’t repay the debts, so the lender canceled the debts of both. Jesus clearly connected the dots to Simon’s behavior, treating Jesus so rudely, while the woman had treated him so generously. The explanation was clear—she had been forgiven the most, so she loved much. How much have you been forgiven? How much do you love Jesus?