Forgiving Much

Forgiving Much

Read: Luke 7:36-47

“He who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Luke 7:47

“Nothing in this world bears the impress of the Son of God so surely as forgiveness.”

—Alice Cary

IN WORD Not only does Simon the Pharisee not understand God’s mercy toward him, he doesn’t understand God’s mercy toward the sinful woman. And if he doesn’t understand that, he certainly can’t demonstrate it. He is woefully unequipped to be a minister of God’s grace.

We fall into the same trap. We accept God’s mercy, but when it leads us to righteousness, we complacently forget our constant need for the mercy we once accepted. And we forget that whenever God lets us experience His character, we are to assume that character and demonstrate it to others. God doesn’t just show Himself to unbelievers in the Bible and in sermons. He shows Himself through the church. But if the church doesn’t act like Him, how will unbelievers see Him? We become as unequipped as Simon.

The person who has encountered God’s grace— really, deeply experienced it—will show it. It is a traumatic event when our need for mercy is revealed. It changes our whole perception of everything. We suddenly find that we who have been judged and forgiven have no basis for judging anyone. We discover that while the world operated on principles of pettiness and payback, the ground of God’s kingdom is mercy. Everything turns upside down. Or right- side up.

IN DEED Has God’s mercy made you more merciful? Are you like the woman weeping at His feet? It is difficult to imagine her getting up and rebuking someone else for their sin. Or are you more like Simon the Pharisee? It is difficult to imagine him forgiving a transgressor of the law. One of them shows clear signs of understanding God’s grace. The other does not. One’s life is revolutionized. The other’s is pretty much the same as it always has been.

Jesus says the merciful will be “blessed” (Matthew 5:7). They are to be envied and admired. Why? They get it. They understand. They have tasted the sweetness of mercy, and they invite others to the banquet where it is served.