HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF WORSHIP? “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven loves little.” Luke 7:47 (NIV) The Pharisee saw the woman in Luke 7 as a sinner worthy of judgment, but Jesus saw her as a woman in need of forgiveness. Jesus, knowing what the Pharisee was thinking, told him a story about two men with huge debts that they couldn’t pay (Luke 7:41-42). Yet the moneylender canceled both of their debts. Jesus asked the Pharisee, “Which of them will love him (the moneylender) more?” (Luke 7:42 NIV). The Pharisee said the one with the greater debt. The point is that love and forgiveness go hand-in-hand. Because the Pharisee was counting on his self-righteousness, he couldn’t see his need for forgiveness and that blinded him to compassion, especially for those in great need. The woman, on the other hand, understood the depth of her sin and knew she could only count on God’s great mercy. And she showed her thankfulness through her bold, honest, humble and extravagant worship. Jesus pointed out the difference between these two hearts when He told the Pharisee how his actions differed from the woman’s. The Pharisee did not give Jesus water to wash His feet, yet the woman bathed them with her tears. The Pharisee did not give Jesus a welcoming kiss when He entered, yet the woman could not stop kissing His feet. The Pharisee did offer the customary oil for Jesus’s head, yet the woman poured her best perfume on Him. When we understand the depth of God’s love and forgiveness, it deepens our love for Him. It also means that we no longer look down on other sinners or think that we are better than anyone else.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 17:32:51 +0000
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