Big Debt - Big Love

“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (Lu 7:47 AV)

 

Jesus was invited to the house of a Pharisee named Simon.  During this gathering, a woman of ill repute came and washed the feet of Jesus.  There is much conjecture on who this woman might be and missed the point entirely.  Simon, being a self-righteous Pharisee, was repulsed at the idea the Messiah would allow such a person to approach him so closely.  He could not understand how the Master who identify with such riffraff.  As he sat in confusion, our LORD spoke to him a parable.  In this parable, there were two debtors.  One owed 500 talents, another only fifty.  Neither had the means to pay, so the creditor forgave both debts. The question was posed to Simon of which of the two would appreciate and love the creditor more.  The answer was so obvious Simon was forced to answer.  The one who had the greater debt forgiven.  Jesus then made a comparison with the sinner.  Simon was the debtor who owed 50 talents and the sinful woman the 500.  Simon cared for Jesus only a little, not willing to exercise the expectations of a host towards Jesus while the woman washed his feet and dried them with her hair.  The conclusion of His parable is our verse above.  There seems to be a correlation between our love for Jesus and the realization we have of our own sin and guilt.

Obviously, the sins of the Pharisee and those of the woman were not numerically different.  Both are sinful creatures.  The difference is how each sees themselves.  The Pharisee who had far more opportunity and training could easily see himself as depraved much more so than the woman of ill repute.  However, he chose to see himself as righteous rather than as fallen.  As we read the entire word of God, we cannot help but see ourselves as falling far short of God’s standard of perfection.  The book that I desire to read the least is Proverbs.  Every proverb seems to cut me to the heart.  There isn’t one that I faithfully live without failure.  The more we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our unworthiness, the more we appreciate just what Jesus has done for us.  The more we see ourselves as we are, the more we are grateful for the grace bestowed upon our souls.  The more wicked and evil we see our actions, dispositions, and thoughts, the more amazed we become that God would love such creatures as us.  Once we realize just how forgiven we are, then the love we have for God grows exponentially.  To the degree which we understand how forgiven we are, is the degree we love God.  And the only way we can realize how forgiven we are is to realize how much we need that forgiveness.  We must come to the end of ourselves and welcome the only grace that can forgive.  Then love Him in return.