Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Sent: Thu, 8 May 2008 08:09:17 -0500
To: "Smith, Lynn " <lsmith20@Central.UH.EDU>
Subject: Morning Manna May 9-BP: Lk. 7:36-50; RBTTY: John 1:1-28; II Kings 7-9
May 9 “The Fragrance of Forgiveness”
“Wherefore, I say unto you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loves much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. And He said unto her, ‘Your sins are forgiven’.”
Luke 7:47-48
We either smell like sin or we smell like the Savior—and it doesn’t take long for others to tell which one it is.
She was “a lady of the night”. . .an uninvited guest. . .one who crashed the party. And, if that wasn’t enough, she had the audacity to weep unashamedly and spill her fragrant perfume all over Simon’s nice clean floor (vv.36-38).
Such things just didn’t happen.
“And, they shouldn’t have happened this time!” Simon, the Pharisee, muttered under his breath as he watched the woman of ill-repute wiping her tears off Jesus’ feet with her hair.
“How horrible!” Simon’s mind cried as he watched her lovingly caress Jesus’ feet with her hands—this one who’d done unspeakable things and whose hair had been caressed by who know how many strangers’ hands.
“If Jesus were truly a prophet, he would never let such things happen!” (v.39) Simon continued musing (and fuming).
But, our eavesdropping, mind-reading Savior always knows what’s on our hearts and minds. So, He told Simon a parable about “a creditor who had two debtors and how he forgave them both” (vv.40-42). One owed around 50 days’ wages and the other one only owed about five days’ wages—but “he forgave them both because they had nothing to pay.”
Jesus then said, “Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?” (v.42).
“I suppose the one to whom He forgave most,” Simon astutely answered.
“Well-said,” Jesus replied.
He then pointed out how Simon had shown Him no common courtesies after inviting Him over for a meal (vv.44-46); yet, the sinful woman showed Him more love in the few minutes she’d been there than Simon had shown during His entire time with him.
The lesson wasn’t on hospitality; it was/is on forgiveness. Religiosity produces rigidness; but redemption produces forgiveness and compassion. And, Jesus’ words—“The one who’s been forgiven much loves much”—are spiritual truths that never grow old. Woe to him/her that thinks otherwise.
Let it be said once again: When we cling to sin, we stink—at least to the Father’s nostrils. But, when we’re engrafted into Christ, the Rose of Sharon, His fragrance fills our being. . .softening our hearts. . .moistening our eyes. . .and causing us to live in the Law’s spirit rather than its letter (II Cor. 3:6, 17). May the Holy Spirit help us to live such fragrant/forgiven lives today.
Thanks,
Mr. Lynn M. Smith
Department Business Administrator
Department of Economics
204C McElhinney Hall
(713) 743-3802 (office)
(713) 743-3798 (fax)
LSmith20@central.uh.edu (email)
http://www.class.uh.edu/econ/ (department website)
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