Luke 7:36-50

Once a week I have decided to write a blog on things that Lord has been teaching me during the week. I’m reading through the book of Luke and I came a across a very cool story. Jesus is invited over to a religious leader's house for dinner. I can imagine that this Pharisee was very excited to have Jesus eat in his home. It seemed like all of Israel wanted a piece of Him. He was healing many and casting out demons. People were desperate for his time. Dinner is served and in comes a prostitute who wholeheartedly repents of all of her sins by weeping on Jesus feet and then covering them with perfume. The Pharisee is horrified at the scene that is unfolding before him at his dinner. Please read the beautiful story for yourself.

Luke 7:36-50 (New International Version)

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman


Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and 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.


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."


Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."


"Tell me, teacher," he said.


"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"


Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."


"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.


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. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."


Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."


The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"


Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

The words Jesus spoke “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Spoke to me in a new way this week. Jesus correlates our love for Him directly to the amount of gratitude we display to Him for the forgiveness of our sins. The more that you and I realize our sinfulness the greater our gratitude and our love. One of the greatest truths I have discovered in my walk with the Lord is that the closer I grow to Him the more I recognize my sinfulness. My intimacy with God deepens my dependency on Him and brings to light my sin. As a parent I desire for my children to be fully devoted to the Lord. I certainly don’t want my children to experience a life of rebellion for them to experience God’s forgiveness. I desire for me and my children to recognize that we aren’t better then the prostitute and that we need God’s forgiveness just as much as she does. My heart breaks for those who perhaps have grown up in church and have lived a good life.  It would be so easy to think that you aren’t as sinful as the prostitute. I’m a sinner who needs a Savior! We are ALL sinners who need a Savior!! We all need to realize our sinfulness and His forgiveness.  I can love God in deeper ways when I understand how much He has forgiven me and how much He has done for me. Gratitude is an expression of love.   Jesus said “he who has been forgiven little loves little.” My prayer for us is that we would love big!