GET TOGETHER – Have You Been Forgiven Much?
Lu 7:47 “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (NKJV)
This passage comes from one of my favorite accounts of Jesus engaging with people in the Bible. Jesus has been invited to the home of a Pharisee. The Pharisees were strict adherents to the law who put a big emphasis on the outward appearance rather than the inner condition of the heart.
Often when one was invited to a home for a meal such as this sometimes the guests and the host would get into some philosophical discussions. A woman crashes the party. This woman is known as a sinner. Many scholars believe that she was most likely a prostitute. This being the case she would have been a woman that took money from Gentiles for sexual relationships. This would have made her big time looked down on by the Pharisees. When she enters the home of the Pharisee Luke gives this account of what happens next “Lu 7:38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.” (NKJV)
This leads the Pharisee to begin talking to himself “Lu 7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” (NKJV) Jesus responds to the Pharisee talking to Himself with a short parable :
Lu 7:40-50 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. “And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. “You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. “You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven. “And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”(NKJV)
I want go into all of the elements involved in this passage, but this is what I
believe the Lord would challenge all of us with from this passage today. First of all, have you received the forgiveness and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? If you haven’t Jesus wants you to know just as this woman was forgiven of her sins that there is mercy and forgiveness waiting for you if you will bow down as she did and ask for His mercy. You can know that no matter how ugly, or terrible that those sins are that you can be forgiven of your sinful past by faith in Him.
Let me ask you another question are you as merciful as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is? He desires for us to be “Mt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” The Greek term for merciful here is eleemon, el-eh-ay’-mone. It means to show mercy. The Greek term for mercy is eleeo, el-eh-eh’-o. It means to show kindness of concern for someone in serious need. I can’t think of any more serious need than the need to be forgiven from our sins.
Perhaps you may think that you don’t need mercy, so certainly there would be no need to grant mercy. The Bible tells us that we all need the mercy of the Lord in Ro 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Your sin may not be made known to the public as this woman’s was, but God is aware of them and desires to forgive you if you are willing to repent and ask for His mercy. Eph 2:4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
We used to sing a song at the first church that I pastored. I had never heard it before, but it describes what my condition was when I came to Jesus. The name of the song is Justice Called and Mercy Answered. When all of us look Jesus in the face justice is calling. If we ask him mercy will answer.
Let us Pray
Lord we were once a people that had not obtained mercy. We thank you today for having mercy on us. Help us today to be as merciful to others as You have been to us.
In Jesus Name
Amen
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Your Friend/kinfolk
Preston
