Who is Forgiven Much Loves Much

Who has seen their need for God’s mercy and grace? If we glimpsed our vast debt to the King and how greatly He’s forgiven us—could we not love Him? He looks for who will recognize the gulf He spanned to adopt us in adoration. God proclaims over you, “My child, all your sins are forgiven,” canceling the writ of everything you owed. He nailed your sins to the cross of His Son who died so you could live (Col. 2:13-14).

O Praise the One Who Paid My Debt and Raised this Life Up from the Dead

The passage below is so beautiful, I had to include the whole thing. Watch how the woman, who has no right to come in the home of a righteous man (let alone the presence of God) worships Jesus extravagantly.

A Jewish religious leader named Simon asked Jesus to his home for dinner. Jesus accepted the invitation. When he went to Simon’s home, he took his place at the table.

In the neighborhood there was an immoral woman of the streets, known to all to be a prostitute. When she heard about Jesus being in Simon’s house, she took an exquisite flask made from alabaster, filled it with the most expensive perfume, went right into the home of the Jewish religious leader, and knelt at the feet of Jesus in front of all the guests. Broken and weeping, she covered his feet with the tears that fell from her face. She kept crying and drying his feet with her long hair. Over and over she kissed Jesus’ feet. Then she opened her flask and anointed his feet with her costly perfume as an act of worship.

When Simon saw what was happening, he thought, “This man can’t be a true prophet. If he were really a prophet, he would know what kind of sinful woman is touching him.”

Jesus said, “Simon, I have a word for you.”

“Go ahead, Teacher. I want to hear it,” he answered.

“It’s a story about two men who were deeply in debt. One owed the bank one hundred thousand dollars, and the other only owed ten thousand dollars. When it was obvious that neither of them would be able to repay their debts, the kind banker graciously wrote off the debts and forgave them all that they owed. Tell me, Simon, which of the two debtors would be the most thankful? Which one would love the banker most?”

Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one with the greatest debt forgiven.”

“You’re right,” Jesus agreed. Then he spoke to Simon about the woman still weeping at his feet.

“Don’t you see this woman kneeling here? She is doing for me what you didn’t bother to do. When I entered your home as your guest, you didn’t think about offering me water to wash the dust off my feet. Yet she came into your home and washed my feet with her many tears and then dried my feet with her hair. You didn’t even welcome me into your home with the customary kiss of greeting, but from the moment I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You didn’t take the time to anoint my head with fragrant oil, but she anointed my head and feet with the finest perfume. She has been forgiven of all her many sins. This is why she has shown me such extravagant love. But those who assume they have very little to be forgiven will love me very little.”

Then Jesus said to the woman at his feet, “All your sins are forgiven.”

All the dinner guests said among themselves, “Who is the one who can even forgive sins?”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith in me has given you life. Now you may leave and walk in the ways of peace.”

—Luke 7:36-50 (TPT)

Many Sins Forgiven

I used to read these verses and think I loved Jesus so much because of the great mess He pulled me out of. If anyone had many sins to forgive, it was me. But each person’s count of wrongs is not what’s important. We must recognize our need and exalt the one who forgives. All of our debts, seemingly great or small, can never be worth the blood which makes us white as snow.

This morning as I asked God to tell me what to write. I heard, “Forgiveness.” I thought it was about forgiving each other, and we should do that (Matthew 18:21-35). But then I realized someone needs to hear the message of their forgiveness, a reminder and assurance of its reality. I believe God is speaking this today, He has forgiven you in love. If this rings true, I hope you’ll share this post.

Take a moment to worship at the feet of the one who gave it all, so nothing stands in the way of you gaining God. You are loved by the Creator of all things. And no matter what kept you from Him, you are forgiven.