S -
"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.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I
have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed
money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the
other fifty. 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.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus
said. 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. You did not give
me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my
feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has
shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to
her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has
saved you; go in peace.”" (Luke 7:39-50 NIV)
O -
Simon's thinking is very logical and very wrong. In his religious thinking he
assumes that the righteous recoil from the unrighteous; the holy separates from
the sinful. Simon assumes that the
Teacher Jesus, if a prophet, would not only know the "condition" of
this woman but would also act as he himself had been trained. Logical, religious, wrong. Jesus is a prophet and does know exactly who
is washing his feet. She is completely
forgiven based on love and Simon is left in the failure to love his neighbor as
himself. Jesus will go on to speak
openly of the woman's forgiven state.
This incites a great question from the other guests. Too bad they didn't
continue with heaven's logic … only God can forgive sins so who is this?
AWESOME!
A -
Religion taught me that God hates sin because he is holy. Jesus teaches something very different. He is categorically the friend, not the
enemy, of sinners. He is the exact
representation of the Father (Hebrews 1:1-3).
He does nothing by himself and only what he sees the Father doing (John
5:19). In fact, when we see him we see the Father (John 12:44-45). Since Jesus is the friend of sinners we must
accept that God the Father is also the friend of sinners. This year my friend,
Guy Effomi, lost his battle with liver cancer.
For eight years he fought against it. For eight years I hated Guy's
cancer. But I didn't hate the cancer because I don't have any. I hated it because of what it did to my
friend and brother. God's hatred for sin
is NOT because he is holy (i.e. without sin) but because of what sin does to
those he loves … the whole world (John 3:16).
P - Lord
who is the friend of sinners and therefore the friend of me and all,
I love you back! I admit that I so very capable of logical but
wrong thinking. I accept my needed for
consistently transformed thinking … the repentance you call all people to. Not
just transformed thinking about sin but about everything. I am very grateful
that not only is your kingdom near but so are you. Please do everything in me and through me you
already have in mind. I welcome new
wineskins unto mulberry trees in the ocean and that which is too wonderful for
me. Thank you for Guy … and for our
future together.
All in in Jesus' Name,
Steve
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