FORGIVEN MUCH?

I love reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The lessons taught are reminders of our Mighty Lord God, Jesus, who is able and the miracles that He performed, and then to review that man in the New Testament is still corrupt of himself as he was 2,000 years earlier even with his sophistication and knowledge.  How desperately, we needed Calvary, the empty tomb, and the ascension of the Lord Jesus to transform us from self-destruction to salvation.  Of course, our salvation is all about a personal relationship with Christ Jesus and making that personal choice to receive all of His actions that have brought deliverance and healing from the penalty and the power of sin. 

In Luke 7, a woman 'who had lived a sinful life" came to where Jesus was dining with Simon, the Pharisee.  She brought an expensive jar of perfume and washed Jesus feet with her tears. dried His feet with her hair, and drenched His feet in the perfume.  Of course, the Pharisee is critical thinking to himself.  Aha!  Jesus knows his heart, his mind, and proceeds to speak a parable to him to help him understand. A merchant was owed a great amount of money by two men.  One owed 500 denarii and the other man 50 denarii.  Because neither had the money to repay the merchant, he chose to cancel the debt of both.  Jesus asked the Pharisee, "Now which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."  His conclusion was correct.  

Jesus reviews the actions of the woman which were a contrast to the actions which Simon failed to do since Jesus was his guest.  Jesus speaks, "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little."  OUCH! Her action of love was the result of experiencing forgiveness and her action was evidence of her love.  

The word, forgive, means to send away.  In the Old Testament, the priest placed his hands on a goat, and the hands were representative of all the sins of Israel, then the goat was taken away into the wilderness, and more than likely became a prey for predator.  We are reminded in Micah that our sins are buried in the deepest seas, and we are also told that our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west in another passage.  I think that we get hung up giving our sins a number, ascertaining their value.  Jesus had to die for sin, whether it was one sin or trillions of sins!  His sacrifice is evidence that He has loved us greatly.  The woman's bathing His feet was evidence she was greatly loved and forgiven.  I challenge you to consider today, that you have been greatly  forgiven, and Calvary is the evidence of His great love for you.  Because you have been greatly loved, would you be willing to forgive as you have been forgiven and to love as you have been loved?  My own personal reminder as I move about today.  Forever learning.  In process.  #IHAVETHREESONS