The One Forgiven Most!

Luke 7: 35-52 (The Message)

Anointing His Feet.

36-39. One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee's house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him."
40. Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Oh? Tell me."

41-42. "Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?"

43-47. Simon answered, "I suppose the one who was forgiven the most."


"That's right," said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, "Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn't quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn't it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal."

48. Then he spoke to her: "I forgive your sins."

49.That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: "Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!"

50. He ignored them and said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

What kind of woman was this? A woman that was forgiven many, many sins that made her more grateful than some of us can imagine. A woman of "ill repute", a prostitute by trade, shunned by everyone. This story was a reminder to me of a statement made by someone that should have known better. She told us that it was no different what we had been saved from, that sin was sin. My immediate reaction (maybe to immediate) was that she and I didn't have a clue what a woman such as this had experienced in her life. Oh yes, I can tell you about numerous sins in my life, sins that breaks my heart and the heart of my Savior. But I cannot tell you anything about this kind. Just as the scripture talks about the bankers that owed money and was forgiven, one fifty silver pieces and the other five hundred pieces. Now these ARE the Words of Jesus, as they say "duh", of course the one forgiven 500 pieces is going to be more grateful. I think sometimes maybe people that are in ministry say a lot of things that are not exactly scriptural. You think? Again, duh! Yes, thank God for forgiving and saving me. I am so thankful that I wasn't in this kind of life. Did I have real horrible sin in my life? Of course I did, we all are sinners. But sweet friends as the old saying goes "Sin will take you farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay". Not everyone was raised in a Christian home and not everyone has been a Christian all their life! But I will tell you one thing I have observed, those that have been in the pig pen are the most dedicated, they can tell you where Jesus brought them from. They don't want to go back, they know they can't. I will get off my soapbox for now, I get really angry at these people that make statements like this, these holier than thou folks (sorry again). Lets not get to big for our breeches! No we all don't have the same kind of story, we all were sinners. But there are some that have been forgiven "many, many, those 500 pieces of silver, etc" sins. Bless you, I pray you will have a wonderful week ahead.