THINK TOGETHER.
Have you ever owed someone money? Did they make you pay them back?
READ TOGETHER.
Luke 7:41-43. 41“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Jesus told this story at a dinner party. A very strange dinner party.
Jesus was invited to eat at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. Do you remember what a Pharisee was? They were the very proud religious leaders, sort of like pastors, but not good pastors. Simon didn’t like Jesus or the things that Jesus had been teaching. So when Jesus got to Simon’s house, Simon didn’t treat Jesus very well. Jesus said to Simon, I came into your house but you didn’t wash my feet, or give me a kiss, or oil for my head. These were all things that a good host would and should do for their guest. But Simon didn’t do anything for Jesus. That’s strange.
Another very strange thing happened at this dinner party. A woman came into the room where Jesus was. And this is what happened:
Luke 7:37-38. 37And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
She did what Simon wouldn’t do. Simon was the host, he was the “pastor,” he was supposed to treat Jesus the best, but he didn’t. Instead a sinner came in and treated Jesus like he was the most important person in the room. She poured nice ointment on his feet and even washed them with her tears. Wow!
Why do you think she did that?
Jesus tells us why in the story he told to Simon. You can read it again from above, Luke 7:41-43. If you owe me a lot of money and I forgive you, you will be very thankful and love me more. But if you only owe a little bit of money, and I forgive you, well, then you probably will just forget about it.
Here’s where we have to really think hard: Do we owe Jesus a lot or a little? Have we sinned a lot or a little? The woman knew that she had sinned a lot, so she loved Jesus a lot. Simon didn’t think he had sinned much, so he didn’t love Jesus much.
But Jesus loves us so much that he has forgiven us of all our sins. That’s what he said to the woman – he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven…your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Has Jesus said this to you? If he has then he is worthy of our love isn’t he? Yes, he is.
Because of Jesus we no longer owe God anything.
With Jesus we can be thankful to God for his forgiveness.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Does anyone owe you anything (maybe money)? Why not let them know that you forgive them, like Jesus.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, I love you so much because you have forgiven me of so much. Amen.
TLICfamily 