Ex-sinners Make Wonderful Worshippers – Part 2

davidwpalmer

Oct 29

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VcozQXxcp1a5fzFMqkZxe?si=ui0UAvwrST2bf7Xza1rsKQ

David W Palmer

(Luke 7:36–37 NKJV) "Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. {37} And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house …"

We are looking at this scene in Jesus's life to help us grow in our understanding of worship. We see that ex-sinners—those who admit and forsake their sin—make better worshippers than those who think they need no repentance.

Next, we notice that the Pharisee seemed to have already "boxed" the woman from her past behavior; he [wrongly] relegated her to a place lower than himself—as a "sinner." His understanding and dogmatic belief refused to budge from holding her down to the level of her past reputation—thus assessing himself as superior to her.

However, because Jesus could perceive this man's thoughts, he knew instantly that he understood neither Jesus nor the first thing about godly repentance. If he did, he too would have shown evidence of his own love, appreciation, devotion, and worship. But because he had no worshipful relationship with Jesus, nor first hand experience of true repentance and forgiveness, he could not see the tremendous transformation Jesus had made to the ex-sinner; nor could he see just how deeply she loved Jesus, and was devoted to him with all of her heart. So he judged the situation harshly and completely wrongly. How did Jesus respond?

(Luke 7:40–43 NKJV) And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." {41} "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. {42} And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" {43} Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."

Wow! Did you see that? Jesus said that a person who is forgiven more loves him more than a person who is forgiven less or not forgiven at all. (Note: Jesus will always forgive the repentant sinner who repents, confesses, and renounces his sin, and who asks for forgiveness. The person who is not forgiven at all, is the one who would not own or repent of his sin.) This is amazing, and yet absolutely fundamental to Christianity.

What's more, he is not talking in absolute terms when using the words "less" and "more." Jesus is saying that if you have renounced, confessed, and repented of a larger portion of your sins, you will love him more. But if you hold on to some of it, you will love him less. This will show in the way you express your love for him—your devotion and passion in worship, intimacy, serving, and ignoring the crowd, etc. Let's read on to hear Jesus explain this:

(Luke 7:44–47 NKJV) Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. {45} You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. {46} You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. {47} Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

This is amazing! By her behavior alone—by her extravagant worship—we can see her heart. Even if Jesus didn't have supernatural insight from the Holy Spirit, he could easily have rightly assessed this situation. He didn't so much forgive her there and then: she had already received forgiveness; he merely verbalized it in confirmation:

(Luke 7:48–50 NKJV) Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." {49} And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" {50} Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Jesus recognized that the woman's receiving of forgiveness, and her consequent loving worship, came because she had given her heart to him in absolute trust. Where are you with this today? Do you long for that passionate love that worships with complete abandon—despite the critical judgment of those who would prefer to keep you boxed into your past reputation? If so, the key is repentance and faith: increase the percentage of forgiveness you have received by repenting of another layer of sin that you've held on to. Put your heart—your feelings, your desires, your whole future—into his loving hands, and worship him today with all you have … extravagantly.

I also encourage you not to box people into their past behaviour or reputation. Be like Jesus, if their worship of him indicates that they love him unreservedly, then you know that they have repented and received forgiveness: "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."