Radical Forgiveness Awakens Radical Love #YouAreLoved
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii (which is about 2 years worth of wages), and the other fifty (that's about 2 months). 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both (Luke 7:41-42a ESV)
This passage in Luke 7 is a story within a story. Here we find that Jesus was talking to a Pharisee named Simon who invited him that evening for dinner. And He told this parable in order to drive a point which we will get to in a bit.
The events of that evening in Luke 7 probably did not go as Simon had intended because a certain woman, who was a sinner came by to dinner uninvited.
Word about Jesus spread because of what He's been doing all around town - healing lepers, opening blind eyes, making the deaf hear, raising the dead so it's no wonder that a distinguished man would ask Him to come over to his home.
It was customary in those days that whenever a special guest like a Rabbi comes to dinner, it becomes sort of a public gathering where people can take a peak at what's going on because they dine al fresco. It was also supposed to be the custom of the host to show honor to the guest by 1) greeting him with a kiss, 2) washing his feet, and 3) pouring oil on his head. Simon did not do a single one of those things.
37 a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that He [Jesus] was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment [or oil], 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. (Luke 7:31-32 ESV)
So this was the backdrop of Jesus' parable - the story within the story. We are introduced to this "woman of the city" who had a reputation of being immoral, which meant that she was most likely a prostitute, which also meant that it was forbidden for her to go near religious leaders such as the Pharisees.
Before all the people present in the area, she stands at the feet of Christ with boldness and humility and begins one of the most scandalously beautiful expressions of love, gratitude, and worship ever recorded in scripture.
It's scandalous because she carries out gestures that are considered unthinkable amongst the Jews. Beautiful because it's a picture of Grace - she comes to Christ with all her brokenness knowing that He is the only one that can make her whole.
She kisses and drenches the feet of Jesus with her tears and wipes them with her hair – it was a disgrace in the Jewish culture at that time for a woman to let down her hair in public.
This was a woman who had nothing left to lose. It was no small feat to anoint the feet of Jesus with the most expensive possession she has - perfume that's a year's worth of wages. A year's worth! That tells me that she could have followed Jesus around for a year, and she witnessed all that Jesus said and done – not only the big miracles, but also the simple things like dining with sinners and tax collectors.
She may have been uninvited to that dinner, but she knew she was welcome in the presence of Jesus. So there she was, fully engaged in her expression of love for Jesus and pours out her absolute best.
If you were there around the dinner table or even a bystander eavesdropping on what was happening, what would you think? I'm willing to bet we'd all have our eyebrows raised. Simon was thinking to himself "if this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (V. 39)
At this point, Jesus literally reads Simons thoughts and tells him the parable about the debtors. Jesus then asks Simon, "who do you think loved the moneylender more? The one who had a larger debt or a smaller one?" to which Simon almost reluctantly but correctly replies, "I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt." (V. 42-43) Yes, Simon! That's absolutely right!
Jesus then arrives at a very important conclusion. "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (V. 47 ESV) in another translation it says, "her sins, many as they are, are forgiven; for she has shown me so much love. But the man who has little to be forgiven has only a little love to give.” (V. 47 J.B. Phillips)
She is forgiven much, for she has loved much. Her forgiveness was not caused by her expression of love. Christ’s forgiveness came first. Jesus pursued her first. This was the point Jesus was getting at with the parable. Her love is a response to this forgiveness that she encountered.
The problem of Simon was that his home was open to the public, but his heart wasn't open to Christ. He did not perceive how much he was forgiven because he did not believe Jesus' claims about who He is - that He was the Messiah. I mean, how would you respond if your bank calls you to tell you that your loans are paid for and you're debt free?
The woman recognizes the magnitude of her debt, acknowledges her need, believes Jesus Christ as HER savior, comprehends that all of her debt and the weight of her shame have all been wiped clean, and so she responds in utter gratitude for what Jesus has done for her. She is forgiven much, and so she showed it by loving much.
This story within a story is part of an even greater story. Where sin abounds, grace abounds MUCH more (Rom. 5:20).
How did grace abound for us? How loved are we? It was us who had a debt, but Jesus took our debt upon himself. Not only did He pay for what we owed, He cancelled all the records.
How BIG of a debt did we owe exactly? Just look at the provision that God made! Jesus paid for the forgiveness of our sin through His blood. It’s an act of complete grace on God’s part. We don’t deserve it. We cannot earn it. All we've got to do is to receive the salvation and forgiveness that He's freely given us!
We who are forgiven and loved much, also love much. LOVE is the fruit (unforced response) and evidence (proof of authenticity) of the forgiveness we have received from Jesus.
Radical forgiveness awakens love and compels radical love - so that His great command for us to love one another is not a burden, but a delight and a desire, it becomes our nature.
If you want to love like Christ, then you've got to grasp how forgiven you are. We grow in our love, in our desire, and in our hunger for Jesus and become known BY our love to the degree that we comprehend the magnanimity of Jesus' finished work.
You know, the love of God for us is magnetic. It's impossible not to be drawn to Him for His Love is not to be observed from afar. It's to be tasted and enjoyed around the table He prepares for us. You're not a bystander at someone else's dinner. You are a son and daughter dining with the lover of your heart and soul. You are forgiven much and you are loved much and this empowers us to also love much.
