Whoever Has Been Forgiven 

By Pastor Jeffrey Smith

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:37-38

While Jesus was at the Pharisee’s house, there came a sinful woman who was known as a prostitute. When she found out who Jesus was, she was compelled to fall at his feet and worship Him. She took her greatest item of value and poured it at the feet of Jesus. She took a vessel—something that represented her old life—and turned it into worship, which Jesus later responded to by proclaiming her sins as forgiven. 

When the Pharisees saw this—them being religious leaders—they were outraged at Jesus’ response. They were disgusted by this woman and her sin, however, Jesus did not see her past, but her future. She brought everything that she used to be—what used to be used for old purposes—and Jesus changed that same vessel to be used for a brand new purpose. Only Jesus can take a vessel that was used for one thing and use it for something completely different. He told the woman to “go in peace” because her sins had been forgiven. She was forgiven a great debt, so she loved with a great love and Jesus sent her on her way to no longer live a life of sin, but to live in the forgiveness her faith had granted her.

You have great love for Jesus when you realize what a great amount you have been forgiven. Choose in your life to live at the feet of Jesus. He is the one man that can set you free from your past to go into a brand new future. When you choose to drop everything and give him everything you have, he looks at you right in the middle of where you are and calls you “forgiven.”