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" 'Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.' " —Luke 7:47

Bible Reading

LUKE 7:36-50

Devotional

While Jesus was eating in the house of Simon the Pharisee, a woman who had once been a prostitute wandered in. She walked around the table at which the host and his guests were reclining—they were reclining on couches, with their bare feet away from the table—and stopped at Jesus' feet. There she could not restrain herself. She became very emotional. She cried, letting the tears drip on Jesus' feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair and anointed them with a costly ointment.

Simon the Pharisee did not get emotional about Jesus. In fact, he had not even shown Jesus the courtesy due an honored guest.

In this room—as in many rooms—there are two reactions to Jesus. One person is coldly indifferent. The other cannot control her feelings of gratitude and adoration.

The Lord explained this event with the help of a story: A person who has been forgiven a debt of $500 will show more gratitude than a person who has been forgiven a debt of $50, won't he? Even Simon the Pharisee agreed to the truth of this saying. Then Christ said: "This woman has been forgiven much because she loved much."

Let's make sure we read that correctly. Her love is not the reason why she is forgiven; her gratitude is proof of her forgiveness. It is true that Jesus' final word to her is: "Your sins are forgiven," and "Your faith has saved you." But he did not say, "Your love has saved you." Her display of love was a fruit of forgiveness. Otherwise she could not be the illustration of Jesus' story that when you are forgiven much, you love much.

Sometimes we are painfully struck by the cold reaction some people have to Jesus. They certainly don't get emotional about him. And their gifts are cheap. We must understand, then, that the gifts we offer him are in proportion to the forgiveness we received from him.

REFLECTIONS

How would you describe your relationship with Jesus? To what extent are you open and demonstrative about him?

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My relationship with Jesus currently is growing and I'm growing deeper and more in love with Him. As I read the scriptures and the more I pray about things, the more I start to truly understand the work God has done and the love and faith He has bestowed. God has brought me to a place where I know I need to daily be killing sin, repenting for my sins. Although my sins are forgiven, I think its important to pray and repent of the sins we commit - it keeps us humble and molds us into contrite spirits.

There have been times where I've weeped openly about the glories of God and the grace of God. I hope that I will always be at that point in my life. To be so vulnerable and so emotional to the works of the Lord. Obviously, I don't want to be emotional for the sake of being emotional. I want the tugging of my heart strings to be genuine and true to form - honest to the realization of God's great grace that has saved me. What an amazing God we serve. What about you? Fill me in.