Forgiven Much
Very often we’ve done in “personality” surveys asking are you a rule keeper or a rule breaker? What is your answer?
Some of us like to deviate from the norm at times, but I guess most of us would say that we keep the rules as best as we can. All through our lives we’ve been asked to follow the rules, be a good student, be a law abiding citizen. I would say that for myself as well. What good would it do if we break the rules? God definitely wants us to keep the rules. He’s the one that gave the 10 commandments! Of course we can never keep all of them but, at least I won’t cheat in an exam, I try not to gossip about people, I do the right thing as best as I can. To me it is easier to live my life with a set of Do’s and don’ts, I like rules! Whilst many might praise me and say that I know my convictions. But what is my real motivation?
I realised that being law abiding, being “Christian” and doing all the right things can arise out of a heart of self centeredness. Pride. It may seem like I’m a goody Christian but in actual fact, sadly at times the motivation is to look good in front of others. My Christianity has been governed by “rule keeping old testament laws” as a preacher says.
The Pharisees and religious leaders in the bible had no problem following the rules but if u noticed, Jesus always had a go at them. Why? I mean they are the ones that are following the rules, what’s wrong with that?
Following the rules is a definite must but living for it alone is NOT.
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and 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 :36-38)
I’ve read this incident many times and always thought whether that woman was actually trying to curry favour Jesus or something. I tried to imagine taking my CK One Summer perfume and pouring it on Jesus, its crazy man! Does she have to be so exaggerated in crying and wiping his feet with her tears thereafter pouring that expensive perfume?
What made her do that??
If we look at this passage in context, Jesus was having a meal at the house of Simon the Pharisee; around him were other Pharisees and high ranking people of that place. In those days, these kinds of meals are taken in an open space where the public is able to have full view of and even stand around the parameters of the place. This prostitute just walked into that intimidating environment in front of all the Pharisees and with her alabaster box poured out all that she had in worship to Christ.
Some of us like to deviate from the norm at times, but I guess most of us would say that we keep the rules as best as we can. All through our lives we’ve been asked to follow the rules, be a good student, be a law abiding citizen. I would say that for myself as well. What good would it do if we break the rules? God definitely wants us to keep the rules. He’s the one that gave the 10 commandments! Of course we can never keep all of them but, at least I won’t cheat in an exam, I try not to gossip about people, I do the right thing as best as I can. To me it is easier to live my life with a set of Do’s and don’ts, I like rules! Whilst many might praise me and say that I know my convictions. But what is my real motivation?
I realised that being law abiding, being “Christian” and doing all the right things can arise out of a heart of self centeredness. Pride. It may seem like I’m a goody Christian but in actual fact, sadly at times the motivation is to look good in front of others. My Christianity has been governed by “rule keeping old testament laws” as a preacher says.
The Pharisees and religious leaders in the bible had no problem following the rules but if u noticed, Jesus always had a go at them. Why? I mean they are the ones that are following the rules, what’s wrong with that?
Following the rules is a definite must but living for it alone is NOT.
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and 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 :36-38)
I’ve read this incident many times and always thought whether that woman was actually trying to curry favour Jesus or something. I tried to imagine taking my CK One Summer perfume and pouring it on Jesus, its crazy man! Does she have to be so exaggerated in crying and wiping his feet with her tears thereafter pouring that expensive perfume?
What made her do that??
If we look at this passage in context, Jesus was having a meal at the house of Simon the Pharisee; around him were other Pharisees and high ranking people of that place. In those days, these kinds of meals are taken in an open space where the public is able to have full view of and even stand around the parameters of the place. This prostitute just walked into that intimidating environment in front of all the Pharisees and with her alabaster box poured out all that she had in worship to Christ.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."(Luke 7:39)
In the above verse, its funny how that Pharisee calls that woman a sinner. It just shows that he probably thought that he wasn’t. Jesus then addressed his problem in the verses below.
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—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
(Luke 7: 44-47)
The woman worshipped Jesus with her all, because she knows she has been forgiven much and Jesus was trying to say that Simon did not worship him because he didn’t think that he needed to be forgiven.
Its really true how we live our lives taking Christ sacrifice on the cross for granted, we don’t think that we need to be forgiven of much coz we didn’t sin much. May it never be. We’ve been born in sin but he took the initiative to reconcile that relationship. Lets continue to ask the Lord to help us to be grateful for what he has done.
Doing good works and following the rules should come from the inside out, a heart that is devoted to the Lord and out of love for him
Much Love
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment