LUKE 7:47

This passage is a hard one for me to read because I often find myself in Simon’s sandals. He righteously looks down on this woman for her sinful reputation. And here she is embarrassing herself in Simon’s house, wiping Jesus’s feet with her hair and tears while kissing him and anointing his head. Awkward.

And yet she is the one whose sins are forgiven, whose faith saves her. Come again? Jesus tells us why in vs. 47

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven – for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.

This woman has experienced grace and forgiveness, something Simon knows nothing about. Simon has no need of grace of forgiveness and thus has little to worship Jesus for. His sins are few in the grand scheme of things.

I’m too much like Simon. Confident in my own good works. High regard for my own work ethic and ability to please God. Optimistic of me. This however isn’t the road of grace. This isn’t the pathway of radical worship for God.

The key to loving Jesus deeply is seeing the depth of our sins and consequently the extent of Christ’s forgiveness. It is backwards. Jesus only becomes more valued as we see the depth of our own sin. I’m a work in progress getting better at this.

Paul knew this. He knew how sinful he was (1 Cor 15:9; 1 Tim 1:15). Maybe this is why he loved Jesus so much? Why he was willing to die for others to know him to?

Lord, make me more like Paul. Show me the depth of my sin to help me see the depth of my forgiveness in Christ. And as a result help me to love in increasingly greater ways.