The Grace Magnifying Glass
Luke 7:36-50
"'Two men owed money to a moneylender...Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?' Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.'"
(Luke 7:41-43)
There is nothing quite as satisfying and fulfilling as loving God deeply and intimately. It is, afterall, our human purpose to glorify God by fully enjoying Him forever. If I am not experiencing that kind of love, I ought to consider these: First, either I have an inadequate appreciation of how totally depraved I am; or, second, I have an inadequate appreciation for the unfathomable and unsearchable depths of God's grace to me.
The sinful woman in Luke 7 somehow knew how sinful and undeserving she was and yet also knew that there was forgiveness for her at the feet of Jesus. She has left us with a powerful image of what it is to worship and love this Savior - pouring perfume on His feet and wiping them with her hair, mingled with tears.
The solution to both the inadequacies noted above is to see Jesus better. The psalmist asks us to magnify the Lord. Put a magnifying class on Jesus and you will see both your own profound sinfulness and His unsearchable grace. And you will love much.
INSIGHT
A good vision of Jesus will cause you to be repulsed by sin and lovingly drawn to Him who knew no sin.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Jeremiah 11-12
Psalm 109
Romans 9-10
Luke 7:36-50
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 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.
39 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."
40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
41 "Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."
48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Footnotes:
a. Luke 7:41 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).
LIFE IS MORE
Jesus says that life is more than simple necessities, like food and clothing. He knows we need these things, but His agenda for our lives is far more significant. We must learn to trust Him.
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