A Mighty Army Of Forgiven Sinners

May 26

Jesus spoke a parable, “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, ”I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And Jesus said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.

You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Then He turned to the woman and said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’

And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace," Luke 7:41-50.

The Bible tells us, “They who compare themselves among themselves are not wise,” II Corinthians 10:12 yet many who consider themselves to be adherents of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will admit that they do this very thing.

We look at our brothers in the faith and we look at our neighbors and we compare our status to theirs. We compare who is healthier, who is wealthier, who is more or less blessed and if we find ourselves in the negative side of the equation, we wonder why.

In this parable, Jesus tells of an adulteress who was accused and condemned by those who considered themselves to be superior to her in character.

The Lord points out that the depth of her sin enabled her to appreciate the profound gift that was given to her; that the magnitude of her downfall caused her to breathe the rarefied air of salvation into the depth of her sin-sick soul and to be cleansed and refreshed as many who have not lived in such depravity cannot do.

Let us, whatever the nature or magnitude of our sin as man measures sin, recognize the enormity of the “unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15) Jesus extends to us. Let us love Him and let us gratefully receive the forgiveness He obtained for us at such great cost.

Let us not compare ourselves to others but let us join hands with them that we may go forward together into the fullness of the joy of our salvation which the Lord has promised will be restored to us, Psalm 51:12.

Let us say with David in Psalm 51:1-13: “1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that you are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge.

“Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will turn back to You.”

Let us go forward together as a mighty army of forgiven sinners, as believers in the One who died to set us free from bondage to sin--whose mission is to share the gift He’s given us with as many as will receive it.