Your Sins Are Forgiven
By Pastor Jeffrey Smith
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.”
Luke 7:44-47
This is a story about a sinful woman who comes into the home of a Pharisee—a religious leader—who by his own admission thinks he has everything figured out. He thinks his way is the best way, the correct way to God, but Jesus quickly proves him wrong by contrasting between the pharisee and the sinful woman.
Religious people want to tell you that your worth is based on past performance, but Jesus says “your sins are forgiven”. Religious people want to put you in a category to tell everyone “you know what kind of person they are”, but Jesus says “your sins are forgiven”. Religious people want to write you off, Jesus wants to write you in and say to you “your sins are forgiven”.
The sinful woman did not change anything about who she was, she simply loved Jesus and showed it by weeping and pouring expensive perfume on His feet. The Pharisees tried to prove their greatness by showing off their good deeds, but Jesus says it is not about how great we are; it’s about how thankful we are and how we show it through a heart overflowing with love and gratitude.
We need to stop keeping records of all the great things we’ve done. We need to start being thankful for all the things that Jesus has forgiven. In the presence of Jesus, you are either grateful for God’s love and what he has done for you that you cannot help but worship and be grateful; or you are the one who looks at everyone else and says “if you only knew what they were doing”. Who will you choose to be today?
