Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Luke 7:44-47 (NLT)
Lord Jesus, I’d do well do marinate in this passage, at least once a week. Because nothing is more daily that the call to forgive and love well, and nothing is more scandalous, extravagant, and liberating than the way you forgive and love.
I show up in this story in so many places. I’m Simon the self-righteous Pharisee. I often see people through the lens of haughtiness, criticism and judgment—especially if their actions have hurt or inconvenienced me, or if their sins are different than mine. Forgive my arrogance and hair-trigger self-righteousness. That’s not who I want to be.
I’m also this broken woman at your feet. My sins are just as real and numerous as hers, just not as public or notorious. I believe this, but by your Holy Spirit, convince me even more. My creed is that you’ve forgiven all my sins—past, present, and future. But I need my heart to catch up with my creed. Jesus, help me, change me, and free me.
I want to forgive others as you’ve forgiven me, Lord. I want to love you much because you love us more than I can possibly imagine—just as much as the Father loves you. May the tears of gratitude I offer at your feet become the water of mercy with which I wash the feet of fellow broken people. Grant me big grace, Jesus, especially for the people who’ve caused me the biggest hurt, shame, and pain. So very Amen I pray, in your kind and powerful name.
