Forgiveness and Love

Luke 7:48 And he [Jesus] said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Could it be put more simply? Could the message of Jesus be put in clearer terms? I don’t think so. Forgiveness is hard to come by in most relationships and to really grasp what happens in forgiveness is impossible for us. But forgiveness is what Christians are all about. And for Jesus, forgiveness is directly connected to love.

In this part of Luke’s gospel, Jesus is eating at the home of a Pharisee. And a “sinner” comes into the house (as if those already present weren’t sinners). She begins to wipe Jesus’ feet with her tears and her hair and anoint his feet with expensive ointment. The Pharisees scoff at her and, by association, Jesus. Jesus proceeds to tell them a parable that is a scathing critique of their “holier than thou” life and their belief that they somehow don’t qualify as sinners.

He forgives her sins. The sinner is forgiven, right in the face of those who feel that they don’t need forgiveness. She is forgiven because Jesus forgives her. “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven- for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” How many are your sins? Those who are forgiven a lot love a lot because they realize how undeserving the forgiveness is and live that out. Those who live in their denial of sin can’t possibly grasp the ideas of love and forgiveness.

Jesus forgives you. It is one of the most humbling and joyful parts of being a pastor. I get to speak those words to a lot of people all at once. The words don’t come from me. It’s not only a human level of forgiveness but a holy level of forgiveness. But I’m not the only one who can speak those words. Each one of us Christians gets to speak those words. The astounding thing is that when any one of God’s children says, “Your sins are forgiven,” Jesus tells us that indeed those sins are truly forgiven.

Whatever sins you may be carrying around, Jesus can and does forgive them. Listen for those words when you are in church or go to whomever you have wronged and ask them for forgiveness or go see your pastor and talk to him about private confession and absolution. Forgiveness is what we’re all about and where there is forgiveness there is love. Where there is love, there is forgiveness.

Heavenly Father, forgive me, for the sake of your Son, Jesus. Forgive me for all of the sins that I have committed. Breathe new life into me through your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your mercy and grace and forgiveness and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.