Luke 7:36-47
If We Have Been Forgiven Only a Little, We Love Only a Little
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said 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.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Looking and studying forgiveness is an interesting subject for man...
Forgiveness is not forgetting...I believe forgiveness is being critical, hurting, being judgmental, and to some degree some control toward others (that we need to forgive)...Sometimes we think that the party who has harmed us is not worth forgiving...And not forgiving has an implication on one's own health...Not forgiving and being unforgiving harms relationships...And these relationships are hard to get back to the way they were before the need of forgiveness happened...Usually when one forgives another, the relationship with the forgiving party has been broken or at least harmed...To fully forgive someone it might take days, weeks, or months, or longer...And the relationship with the party is harmed...And to fully forgive brings back the relationship with the one or ones who have harmed or hurt you...Forgiveness means to stop feeling like you have been harmed or hurt, but are capable of forgiving the party who has harmed you...The one who has hurt you may have not have meant it or anything, and the question is can you get back from the pain and transforming yourself from thinking your a victim to the way you were before the incident happened and have amended things with the one who has harmed you...So forgiveness is a way of moving on in a healthy way in your life...
Some people think that others need more forgiveness than they do...Simon seems to fit this category, when he says, “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.”...And in this statement by Simon is he judging Jesus...Is Jesus really a Prophet, if He knows what kind of woman she is?...The sinful woman does not judge Jesus, she just want to thank Him and honor Him for His forgiveness...Jesus is always helping outcasts and those in need, that is the Way, His Way...
Jesus looks at forgiveness from a completely different point of view...No one knows more about forgiveness and how to forgive than Jesus...He is the Only One I know that can forgive so quickly and have a trusting relationship with that person...or the group who has harmed Him...Jesus wants the relationship to mend and wants love to be a part of the relationship after the forgiveness has happened...Everyone in Jesus' eyes are worth forgiving...Jesus came to seek and save the lost...
In the story about the woman who anointed His feet with tears and perfume, we see that the depth of His knowledge on forgiveness...The woman wants to give Jesus a deserving greeting, on greater than the host...Maybe because she has sinned many times...She honors Jesus with her tears and perfume...We are sinners who are in need of a Savior who is Full of Grace and has a Great Forgiving Heart...We learn that there are people who have the need to be forgiven many times for there many sins...And because this particular woman has sinned many times she knows more about forgiveness that the others in the house...This lady is one who has sinned many times and knows of the importance of forgiving, because of this...In her great sins, she has shown Jesus much love...The sinning woman honors Jesus with great gratitude, even though of her sins, more than Simon, the host...And Jesus accepts her gifts of honor, love, and gratitude...Love is shown in acts and deeds of honor...
The more we know about forgiveness the more we know about love...Jesus can completely forgive and so He knows how to completely LOVE...