Luke 7:47 -- On Love and Forgiveness

"Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."
Luke 7:47


This is a fascinating story... if any of you haven't read it, you should.  It is from verse 36 to verse 50.  This woman, a sinner (as are we all), came in and bathed Jesus' feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair... and in the verse above, he tells the people that he is eating with that this woman will love him more than they will because he has forgiven her more. :)

I think of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis in the Book of Mormon... who had murdered many people, and were then converted unto the Lord.  And it tells us that they were firm in the faith from then on.  Their children were the ones that became the stripling warriors who were so firm, obedient, and faithful that they lived while thousands of others in the army died.  So, I am wondering why that is.  God leaves the 99 to rescue the one... not because he loves them more, but because they need him more.  

Perhaps this woman, and all we sinners, can see what Christ offers us a little more clearly because we know the suffering and pain that comes from sin.  We recognize our need for him more fully, and we are more desperate, and therefore more persistent, in calling upon him for mercy.  Perhaps that is where humility comes in... some of us are humble because we have to be... we're so far gone spiritually that all we can do is beg for God's mercy.  But when we don't feel as far gone as that, pride starts to kick in, and we don't beg and plead and yearn for God's presence in our lives because we don't feel the need as keenly.

The truth is though... we are all in need of God's love and mercy, just as much as this woman was.  We all need God so badly that we should be crying and pleading before him too.  We are ALL in need of a Saviour.  Do we see that?  Do we know that?  We can't take Christ for granted... haven't you had a time in your life where there was nothing that you could do for yourself, and you desperately needed someone to come in and rescue you?  I have.  Stranded in a small town in Colorado, car broken down... no way to get anywhere.  So, who can you call in that kind of situation who you know will bail you out?  Spiritually, we are right there.... stranded at some remote gas station in the middle of nowhere with no transportation.  And Christ is the one that we need to call.  He will come and help us to get to where we are going.  Perhaps when we realize how desperately we need him, we will learn to love him better.