"If you don't see the real me, you won't see what love has won..." Vota

Thursday, October 22, 2009

A scripture taken to heart

Today, in my Bible study time, there was a section which lead us to read part of Luke 7.
Luke 7: 36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.
41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[d] and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
I have read this many times, but never has it struck me with such intense directness. It was as if I were weeping at Jesus feet. I felt myself in such a humble role as He has forgiven and still forgives me of so many sins. I know that people who "knew me when..." would probably think much like Simon the Pharisee, "doesn't He know what she has done, or who she is?"


BUT, Jesus has cancelled my debt in it's enormous entirety. I owe Him nothing for I could never repay Him. AND this is OK with Him. He doesn't want me to repay Him-- such is His free grace, a gift without expecting one in return. I can only stand in awe-- complete humility for receiving such an expensive gift which I do not deserve nor can I come close to deserving. There is nothing earthly to compare. People have experienced having strangers pay off their home mortgage, celebrities rebuild their crumbling house into a beautiful mansion, received a million dollar check from Ed, but how many of us have sat down to consider the gift we have been given? I have been given the gift of eternal life. Life not here on this dieing planet, not in this aging body, not even in the paradises of this world which would seem a great place to spend eternity, but in heaven. In the presence of God. In a place where what I treasure here is nothing but road pavement there. Where riches are nothing more than building materials. Where the things of this world are trivial and meaningless and All Truth is displayed. Where I become like the angels and can be with God.
After experiencing this part of the Bible I was taken to this next verse. Luke 12:48 ...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. I can't remember what the context of this section of the study was, but I know what it meant to me. Now that I have been given so much by my Savior, much will be asked of me. What have I been given? Forgiveness and eternal life. Now that I have been entrusted with so much, much more will be asked. With what have I been entrusted? The Truth.
I also remembered this verse which I will end with. Matthew 25: 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. So I am expecting Him to keep this promise. I have faith, and am expectantly waiting for more! An abundance.

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