Because I am a person who has received forgiveness for many sins,
I love the Lord very much.
“Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So Jesus went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And behold, there was a woman in that town who was a sinner. When she learned that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. Standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed His feet, and poured the perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, He would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘speak.’ ‘Two people owed money to a moneylender. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the means to repay him, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’ ‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said. Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered 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 pour oil on My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little loves little.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’” (Luke 7:36–50).
As I meditate on this passage, I want to receive the lesson that it gives:
(1) As I read and reread today’s passage, Luke 7:36–50, verse 47 once again drew my attention, and I meditated on it: “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little loves little.”
(a) And I decided to give the title of this meditation: “Because I am a person who has received forgiveness for many sins, I love the Lord very much.” The reason is that I myself have committed many sins, am still committing sins, and will continue to be a person who sins until the day I die. Therefore, I have a heartfelt desire to love the Lord very much.
(i) As a matter of fact, just yesterday (Mission Sunday), the senior pastor emeritus of our church delivered a message centered on Romans 1:14–15 under the sermon title “I Am a Debtor.” While receiving that message, I heard that the Greek word for “debt,” opheilēma (ὀφείλημα), is often translated as “sin” in the New Testament. This led me to think of Jesus’ parable of forgiveness in Matthew 18:23–35 (the “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant”) (Ref.: Internet): “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. he servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go. … But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. …”
· I applied this parable in the following way: Even though I owed God a debt of one million dollars (U.S. currency) or one trillion won (Korean currency), God forgave that enormous debt of mine in Jesus Christ. If this “debt” is translated as “sin,” then even though I committed one million sins or one trillion sins against God, God forgave all my sins through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
- And the Scripture that came to mind was today’s verse, Luke 7:47: “Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven. That is why she loved much. But the one who has been forgiven little loves little.”
(2) Today’s main passage, Luke 7:36–50, describes how the Pharisee Simon invited Jesus to his house for a meal. However, although it was basic hospitality toward a guest, Simon did not give Jesus water to wash His feet, did not greet Jesus with a kiss, and did not pour olive oil on Jesus’ head. In contrast, a sinful woman who lived in that town—whom Simon regarded as a “sinner”—brought an alabaster jar of perfume. She stood behind Jesus at His feet, weeping, wet His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet, and poured the perfume on them.
(a) Therefore, Jesus asked Simon, “There were two people who owed money to a lender. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. Since neither of them had the means to repay, he forgave the debts of both. Which of them, then, will love him more?” (vv. 41–42). Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven more.” Jesus then said to him, “You have judged correctly” (v. 43), and in verse 47 of today’s passage, Jesus said that the woman’s many sins had been forgiven because she loved Him much, and that “the one who is forgiven little loves little.”
(i) After saying this to Simon, Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins have been forgiven” (v. 48). At that moment, those who were reclining at the table with Jesus began to whisper among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” (v. 49). But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (v. 50).
(3) I would like to meditate on today’s passage, Luke 7:36–50, by dividing it into two parts centered on verse 47: (1) “the one who is forgiven little”, and (2) “the one whose many sins have been forgiven”.
(a) First, “the one who is forgiven little”:
(i) Here, “the one who is forgiven little” (v. 47) refers to the Pharisee Simon. When Simon saw “a sinful woman in that town” who “learned that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of perfume, stood behind Him at His feet, wept, wet His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet, and poured the perfume on them” (v. 38), he “said to himself” (v. 39), “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him—that she is a sinner!” (v. 39).
· As I meditate on this passage, I believe that the Pharisee Simon regarded the woman as a “sinner” because he considered himself righteous. Thus, when he saw a woman branded as a sinner approaching Jesus and touching Him so freely, he thought that if Jesus were truly a prophet, He would have discerned her identity and sinful nature and would not have allowed her to come near Him (Ref.: Internet).
- In the end, the Pharisee Simon failed to realize how great his own sin was because he considered himself righteous. Instead, he saw only the woman’s sin as even greater—the woman who brought a jar of perfume, stood behind Jesus at His feet, wept, wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet, and poured perfume on them—and he kept his distance from her.
n Thus, the Pharisee Simon, a hypocrite who, because of self-righteousness, could not see the “log” in his own eye but only the “speck” in another’s eye (cf. Lk. 6:42), underestimated the seriousness of his own sin while judging the magnitude of the woman’s sin from his own perspective. Therefore, as “the one who is forgiven little,” the Pharisee Simon “loved little” (v. 47).
# That is why, when Jesus entered his house, Simon did not give Him water to wash His feet, did not greet Him with a kiss, and did not anoint His head with oil (vv. 44–46).
(b) Finally, second, “the one whose many sins have been forgiven” (v. 47):
(i) Here, “the one whose many sins have been forgiven” refers to “a sinful woman” (v. 37). This woman learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee Simon’s house, brought a jar of perfume, stood behind Jesus at His feet, wept, wet His feet with her tears, wiped His feet with her hair, kissed His feet, and poured perfume on them (vv. 37–38). In other words, she not only wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, but from the moment Jesus entered the Pharisee Simon’s house, she continued to kiss His feet and poured perfume on His feet (vv. 44–46).
· Therefore, Jesus said to the Pharisee Simon, “This woman’s many sins have been forgiven” (v. 47). Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins have been forgiven” (v. 48).
- At that time, those who were reclining at the table with Jesus began to whisper among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives other people’s sins?” (v. 49,). But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (v. 50).
(4) As I meditate on today’s passage, Luke 7:36–50, I would like to reflect on the lesson that once again brings us to a concluding focus on the fact that this woman’s many sins were forgiven because she loved Jesus very much (v. 47):
(a) As I did so, the first passage that came to mind was Romans 5:20: “The law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
(i) The “very sinful woman” (Lk. 7:37), whom the Pharisee Simon “knew to be a sinner” (v. 39), experienced that “where sin increased, grace became even more abundant” (Rom. 5:20), because she loved Jesus very much (Lk. 7:47).
· As someone full of sin, I experience that because the Lord loves me very, very much, God’s grace becomes even more abundant in a life in which my awareness of sin continues to increase. Therefore, I cannot help but make this confession of the apostle Paul: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; on the contrary, I labored more than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).
(ii) The second passage that came to mind was Jesus’ parable of the servant who owed ten thousand talents, found in Matthew 18:23–35.
· When the apostle Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” (v. 21), Jesus answered, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (v. 22), and then He told this parable.
- This “parable of the servant who owed ten thousand talents” begins with the words, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants” (v. 23). When the king settled accounts, he had compassion on a servant who owed ten thousand talents and canceled his debt (v. 27). However, that servant who had been forgiven went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He seized him and began to choke him, saying, “Pay back what you owe.” He showed no compassion, but instead had him thrown into prison until he could repay the entire debt (vv. 28–30).
· Yesterday, during the Sunday worship service, I shared this parable with the congregation in this way: “Suppose I owed God one million dollars or one trillion won, and God forgave my entire debt in Jesus Christ. Yet I forget that grace and demand repayment from someone who owes me only one dollar or one won, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe.’”
- In other words, although God has forgiven all of my one million or one trillion sins through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross, I act as though I cannot forgive even a single sin that my neighbor has committed against me.
· Why do we refuse to forgive our neighbors? Clearly, in Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant (Mt. 18:23-35), Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants" (v. 23), and the commandments of the kingdom of heaven are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt. 22:37, 39). Therefore, if we love our neighbors as ourselves and God has forgiven our countless sins through Jesus Christ, shouldn't we forgive someone who has committed even one sin against us?
- When I asked artificial intelligence, "Why do people refuse to forgive their neighbors' sins?", it answered: "The reasons for refusing to forgive a neighbor's sins include deep emotional wounds, feelings of betrayal, anger, a desire for revenge, and the belief that the other person has not paid a sufficient price. Especially from a religious perspective, it may be because they believe that their own forgiveness is linked to God's forgiveness, and therefore, refusing to forgive is connected to their faith, or because they believe the other person has not truly repented. This sometimes leads to warnings, like the parable of the unforgiving servant, that refusing to forgive can result in not receiving forgiveness for one's own sins.
Psychological reasons why it's difficult to forgive a neighbor's sins:
Deep wounds and pain: Even if the emotional wounds seem forgotten, they can resurface, making the pain vivid again, which makes forgiveness even more difficult.
Anger and revenge: The anger felt after being harmed and the desire for revenge ("they should suffer the same way") hinder forgiveness.
Fear of losing control: This may stem from the fear of being hurt again by the other person after forgiving them, or the anxiety of losing control over the situation.
Perception of the severity of the sin: This occurs when someone feels that the other person's sin is too great to forgive, or that their own suffering is greater.
Religious/Faith-based reasons (Christian perspective):
Relationship with God: Based on verses like Matthew 6:14-15, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," from the Lord's Prayer, the belief that one's own forgiveness is linked to God's forgiveness can make refusing to forgive burdensome.
Requirement of repentance: The Bible states that repentance is essential for receiving forgiveness. The teaching is that if one judges that the other person has not truly repented, they can refuse to forgive.
God's will: Since God desires justice, one might think that overlooking sin goes against God's will.
In conclusion, the inability to forgive a neighbor's sin often stems from a complex interplay of human emotions and religious beliefs, suggesting that the difficulty of forgiveness can have a negative impact on one's own life” (Internet).
(iii) Lastly, the third passage that came to mind was Isaiah 38:17: “Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but You have loved my soul and delivered it from the pit of destruction, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”
· The “great suffering” that came upon King Hezekiah was his imminent death—namely, that he had “become sick and was about to die” (v. 1). The Scripture tells us that God’s purpose in adding this “great suffering” of imminent death was to give King Hezekiah “peace.” Through this “great suffering,” God ultimately led Hezekiah to pray in repentance (vv. 2–3, 5), and by casting “all his sins behind His back,” God granted King Hezekiah peace.
- Why did God give King Hezekiah peace by leading him to pray (in repentance) through “great suffering”? The Bible tells us that it was because God loved Hezekiah’s soul [(v. 17) “…for You have loved my soul…”].
· This passage came to mind because the woman who received forgiveness of sins (v. 48) in today’s text, Luke 7:36–50, also heard Jesus say to her, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (v. 50). In other words, she came to enjoy peace through the forgiveness of her sins.
- The reason is that although her many sins were forgiven because she loved Jesus very much (v. 47), in my view, the ultimate reason is that Jesus loved her soul (cf. Isa. 38:17).