Forgiveness (and forgivingness) is at the heart of the gospel. We can only truly love when we accept forgiveness. Forgiveness releases in us the capacity to be free from condemnation to be given over the reckless love.
All throughout the gospel accounts (and most recently I’m in Luke), there is an ongoing character contrast. The contrast is between the various ways people respond to Jesus. There are those who are skeptical and hard-hearted, and then there are those who weep at his feet and embrace him. The great difference between the two that Luke is constantly pointing out, is that those who are hard-hearted are self-righteous. Those who weep at his feet and go away in peace, are humble.
Remember the story of Jesus telling Peter to go out to the deep to find fish just after Peter comes back with no luck? (Lk 5:1–11) Reluctantly, Peter does what he’s told and brings in so many fish it almost sinks his boat (I want to bring in so many fish that it almost sinks my boat, BTW). Peter’s response? “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Lk 5:8). This man becomes the rock of the church.
One of the best illustrations of this principle of contrast is the story of the woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee who washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and anoints his feet with ointment (Luke 7:36ff). Simon invites Jesus into his home, so it seems, to sort to interrogate him to find out what he’s all about.
“Is this guy really the Messiah? I want to see what all this fuss is about.”
Then we have the woman (and Luke never gives us her name. People who love Jesus this much aren’t concerned about their names being known). She weeps.
In this story we have the Pharisee, who is skeptical. Who engages Jesus from a distance. At this point, Jesus has proven to the crowds that he is sent from God, has authority to heal and to forgive sins. The healing is great, the forgiveness of sins, however, is highly controversial.
“God and God alone has the authority to forgive sins!” they cry more than once.
In fact, this is one of the accounts of blasphemy that causes Jesus to be crucified. Equality with God, right?
Jesus’ words sum it all up well:
44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
What’s my point? Forgiveness is the power of the gospel. Which character do you identify with?
