"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more? ... Do you see this woman? Her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But the one who is forgiven little loves little." ... Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; be going on in peace."
~ Luke 7:41-50 (author)
"Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof."
~ Luke 7:6 (ESV)
These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
~ Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV)
Chapter 7 of Luke begins with the story of a wealthy Roman—a Gentile—who loved Israel and called her Messiah "Lord." He saw himself as utterly unworthy to even approach Jesus, let alone let Jesus enter his abode. Jesus identified his faith as greater than any He'd found in Israel.
The chapter concludes with the story of a woman called only "a sinful woman." Whatever her sin, it was obvious enough to be her identifying trait. Humbled by her many sins, her tears were sufficient to wash Jesus' feet, her love sufficient to kiss His feet before those who despised her.
Who is forgiven little? Only that person able to say, "I've never had a proud look or a lying tongue. My hands never caused the bloodshed of an innocent Man. I run from evil when I view it, and I sow only peace in my family."
Everyone is forgiven much. It's simply a matter of how little we perceive our sins to be that limits our capacity to love our Lord and Savior.
Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, You are my Lord and my God. You are Adonai and YHWH. My hands are stained with Your blood, and I gratefully accept You fully covering me with Your blood, under the shadow of Your wings, set under Your authority. I love You with as much strength as You provide.
Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Oh, isn't that the crux of it all. Perception can be very deceiving for sure.
ReplyDeleteYou changed your blog background. Needed a change, or striving for something specific? Your devotionals are always great. Thank you!
Love the new look! Wasn't sure I landed in the right place at first.
ReplyDeleteFaith is a beautiful thing. It may be intangible to us but our supply of it, fully understood by our Lord. The best part is it doesn't cost a thing.
Eileen, the devotionals are great if they're in any way encouraging you in your walk with the Lord. Thanks for the compliment.
ReplyDeleteT. Anne, I'm glad you like the new look. I liked the "scribe" template when I set up a Bible-based blog, but lately I've been feeling I wanted a fresher look.
It's my hope that this blog always reflects how fresh and alive God's Word is, no matter how many times it's read.
Awesome my friend.
ReplyDelete