Thursday 18 September 2008
- Bible Book:
- Luke
"'Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little'. Then he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven'." (v.44-48)
Background
In the presence of Jesus a woman, who has led a sinful life,repents. It is like a dam bursting - all the hurt and pain she hascaused herself and others comes pouring out. It is a grief that ismingled with love and joy: an uncontrolled, messy outpouring -tears and snot and not a lot of dignity.
Jesus says explicitly that those who are forgiven much love much,and those that are forgiven little love little. So does that meanthat it would be a good idea to start building up a sizeableportfolio of juicy sins?
Certainly we shouldn't strive to appear good. The 17th centuryscientist/theologian Pascal said "Man is neither angel nor beast;and the misfortune is that he who would act the angel acts thebeast".
The danger in the ambition to be good is that it becomes an act, acompetion to stand out as better than our brothers and sisters andwe then end up trampling each other in a raw and 'beastly' struggle- the 'survival of the holiest'.
But if we look at the text more closely, Jesus says he whoisforgiven little loves little. Thetheoretical 'good' man in the extract has been forgiven littlebecause he admits little sin inside himself. This doesn't mean hehas no sin.
John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, and some of thegreatest saints have counted themselves great sinners. Why? Notbecause they 'sinned' according to the values of the world, butbecause they realised they sinned according to the values of God,as we all do, inevitably, in our self-centred humancondition.
We all have much to be forgiven. If we realise this, and our needfor forgiveness, our dams can be broken and rivers of love can bereleased.
To Ponder
Have you ever felt the release of being forgiven?How does forgiveness for small things compare to forgiveness of bigthings? Is there a difference?
How can we truly realise our need forforgiveness?