The Weekly Diner

Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace be with you!

Please continue to pray for our travels as we travel the USA on Foreign Mission duties. Our time has surely been blessed so far. This week again our article is written by a guest pastor.
May God Bless your week! John R.

BANKRUPT DEBTORS IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS

How amazing and wonderful is our precious and gracious Lord! Try to put yourself into his sandals. John the Baptist, having been imprisoned by Herod, had just sent servants to Jesus to ask him if he was the one to come or were they to look for another (Lk. 7:19). Jesus continued healing those who came to him (Lk. 7:21) giving evidence that in and through him the kingdom of God had truly come among them.

Then Jesus commended John to the people (Lk. 7:24-28). This commendation triggered a joyous response in the hearts of the publicans (tax gatherers) and others who had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected and reacted against Christ’s commendation of John (Lk. 7:30). In fact, Luke records “…the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him” (that is by John) (Lk. 7:30).

Then an amazing turn of events occurs. One of these Pharisees invites Jesus to his house for dinner. Can you believe it! This critic of Jesus and resister to the grace of God extends an offer of fellowship to Jesus! And Jesus goes! Why? Because there is no one whom God does not love. This critical, hard-hearted, stiff-necked, self-righteous Pharisees needed this love of God more than he realized. Jesus does not avoid extending God’s grace and love even to those who hypocritically feign love for him. For him to go to Simon’s house was not condoning Simon’s philosophy of life, but an opportunity to reveal to Simon a more accurate portrait of the nature of God.

Then God, orchestrating circumstances so beautifully, draws “a woman in the city, who was a sinner, and knew that he [Jesus] was sitting at meat in the house of the Pharisee, having taken an alabaster box of myrrh, and standing at his feet behind him weeping, began to wash his feet with tears; and she wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the myrrh” (Lk. 7:37, 38).

The critical, judgmental Pharisee immediately concludes that Jesus is no prophet, much less the Messiah, for he has no knowledge about this woman. And this opens the door for our Savior to tell the parable that followed (Lk. 7:41-50). Both debtors are bankrupt; unable to pay their debt. So, in that sense, both are the same. Be our sins many or few; great or small as far as Man’s idea, no one is righteous before God.

James writes that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (Ja. 2:10). Undoubtedly the Pharisee thought he was morally superior to this woman. But in God’s eyes he was no more righteous than she.
Whether Simon, the Pharisee, ever understood it or not, we don’t know. The point of the parable is not to make a judgment between the two debtors, but to point out the greatness of God’s mercy and grace. Whether like Simon, the Pharisee, or this woman, we all need forgiveness for our sins.

Though this Pharisee was convinced that Jesus was deceived by this woman’s signs of remorse coupled with loving affection for her Savior, we know that Jesus knew this woman more fully than Simon. And once again the truth is revealed—"...God demonstrates His own love for us in this: “…While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Ro. 5:8). The Lord... is longsuffering..., not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Pe. 3:9) God loves the contrite heart and the broken spirit, for the contrite heart and broken spirit he will not despise (Ps. 51:17).

This woman knew her sinfulness but, also, the greatness of God’s love and mercy! Her worship of the Lord, flowing forth from a heart set free from carnal bondage, demonstrated her joyous and grateful heart. A heart set free through the assurance of forgiveness.

Jesus has suffered and died because of and for our sins. And his blood is the only blood by and through which we can truly be forgiven. Dear reader, don’t run away from God or try to bury your sins! Come to the Savior who lives in humility in your believing brother or sister, receive the forgiveness for your sins in the Name and through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and the righteousness of God, peace, and joy will fill your soul.