An immoral woman can teach us a lot about the Kingdom of God.
The recognition of our need is the first step toward our entrance into heaven. If we perceive we need to be forgiven little, we will love little.
A Pharisee invited Jesus to his house for dinner. A woman of ill repute entered and began washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. Then she anointed them with expensive perfume. The Pharisee was upset that Jesus would let such a sinful woman touch him. In response to his objection, Jesus told him a story.
A man lent two men money: five hundred pieces of silver to one and fifty to another. When they couldn’t repay him, he forgave them. Jesus asked, “So which of them will love him more?” The Pharisee answered, “I suppose the one who he forgave more.” Jesus replied, “You have judged correctly.” The woman saw her sin and was broken. The Pharisee only saw the woman’s sin, not his own.
If we never grasp the depth of our sinful nature, we will never understand the enormity of God’s forgiving grace. Whoever sees no need for the cross of Christ will never embrace it. Recognition of our need for forgiveness is evidence of a repentant heart.
By his attitude, the Pharisee was trying to maintain his right standing with God through self-righteousness. Pride blinded him to his sin. The woman’s actions indicated she realized only Jesus could save her. Her response to this revelation was to love Him.
The woman was closer to the Kingdom of Heaven than the Pharisee with all his religious regalia. In this tale, Jesus honed in on authentic faith rather than the external trappings of religion. He painted a word picture of the contrast between a legalistic religious pursuit and a love relationship with the Savior. One of the players was motivated by love of self but the other by love of God.
Fulfilling the law of love through faith saved the woman. The Pharisee met the letter of the law but was far from righteousness. When we are tempted to judge someone without first looking at our sin, we should remember that but for the grace of God we would be in the same predicament.
Whoever has been forgiven much, loves much. Love much as Jesus did.
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Ken Barnes has had a twenty-five year career in educational pursuits. He has taught in various public and private schools in Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Virginia. He also worked for seventeen years with Youth With A Mission as a school leader, recruiter, and director. Ken holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author of The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places. He currently is a speaker, blogger, and freelance writer. Ken lives with his wife Sharon in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Visit Ken at https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/