Who Does God Forgive?

At a dinner party, Jesus came in contact with a Pharisee and a sinner. This daily devotional looks at Jesus’ view on religion and relationship — and forgiveness.

Nuggets

  • God loves all of us and will forgive us, but He will love the problem child more.

Devotions in the Faith and Forgiveness series

Forgiven by the Savior

Who would have thought that Jesus would have gotten his feet anointed two different times at two different Simon’s houses? But He did.

This was an unnamed woman at Simon the Pharisees’ house who was described as a sinner. His story tells us about God’s love and forgiveness when we have faith in Him.

If we look at Luke’s diagnosis, he told us we need make sure we don’t just focus on religion. We need to strengthen our relationships with God.

This got long, so I had to cut it into two devotions. We’ll leave the connections and applications until the next devotion.

Let's Put It into Context

“Then one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him — she’s a sinner!’” (Lk. 7: 36-39 CSB)

We may be asking ourselves how the woman got access to Jesus’ feet. Pearce called it an open house.

Taylor wrote, “The guests are in their places, not sitting cross-legged on the floor, like modern Orientals, nor seated on chairs, as with ourselves; but reclining, after the old Roman fashion, on couches, the head being towards the table, and the feet, unsandalled, stretched out behind, while the body rested on the left side and elbow.”

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The interesting thing that Taylor said was that there would be guests sitting around the room. They were just there to see the sights and listen but not eat. These would be uninvited guests but they were welcomed anyway.

We don’t know this woman’s name — we only know her character. The woman approached Jesus with humility and unworthiness yet gratitude and affection. Beddome pointed out that the posture of standing behind Him was one of reverence.

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We do know the host’s name and the fact that he was a Pharisee. Yeah, Jesus still went to his house to eat even though he was a Pharisee.

Scripture does not say why Simon invited Jesus to his house. We do have to question his motive since he didn’t want Jesus to associate with a sinner. His spiritual pride wouldn’t allow it.

Person of Interests

But then wasn’t that the Pharisees’ catch phrase? “That person is a sinner.” I guess they thought it was an all-or-nothing deal. They didn’t understand how God could — and wants to — change people.

Simon started talking to himself. Maybe he knew Jesus was good at figuring out thoughts; maybe he didn’t.

The Pharisee obviously didn’t get Jesus’ nature. If he did, he didn’t value it. He didn’t see Jesus as the Savior.

Are There Degrees of God’s Forgiveness?

“Jesus replied to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ He said, ‘Say it, teacher.’ ‘A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one he forgave more.’ ‘You have judged correctly,’ he told him” (Lk. 7: 40-43 CSB)

God loves all of us and will forgive us, but He will love the problem child more.

Jesus called Simon on his attitude. In fact, He showed us a good way to correct our fellowmen.

Oh, aren’t we like the Pharisees sometimes? We think God can — and should — only love those who are the religious type. We forget that God doesn’t want the ceremony and trappings of religion. He wants a true relationship with each of us.

We think God can — and should — love those who are the religious type. We forget that God doesn’t want the ceremony and trappings of religion. He wants a true relationship with each of us.

Hopefully, we will be like Simon in receiving the reproof. Rogers wrote, “The word Christ speaks ought to be received with all readiness of spirit.”

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The parable Jesus told is interesting. A parable is a story that Jesus told using everyday examples to illustrate spiritual concepts.

Two dudes owe a creditor money but in differing amounts. Both are forgiven. Jesus asked Simon which one the creditor loved more.

Mankind is the debtor. God is our Creditor. “All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time” (Ps. 107: 27 NIV). He has given us life itself as well as talents to use for Him.

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

On top of all of that, God gives us new mercies daily. “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” (Lam. 2: 22-23 CSB).

Rogers explained God’s mindset on lending to us. He wrote, “Add to all God’s bounty and liberality — which is renewed to us daily — He is as willing still to lend us, as if we had paid Him in all, and owed Him not a groat.”

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God provides all we need (not necessarily all we want). It is through His unspeakable mercy that He cares for us. God’s mercy is the unexpected way God responds in love to our needs.

More amazing yet is God takes us at our word. In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Jesus said, “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything’” (Mt. 18: 26 NIV). He knows the issues we will have trying to stay true to our word. And He accepts it anyway!

Don’t think that God is just going to write off our debt of sin. He expects us to ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness is, when we ask, God pardons us because we have broken His laws and commandments and restores our relationship with Him.

But along with that, God requires repentance. Repentance is acknowledging our separation from God and expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments by making the commitment to changing ourselves through obedience so that we no longer do the wrong things.

Still, Rogers reminded us that God cannot forget sin. “The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: I will never forget all their deeds” (Amos 8: 7 CSB). All of our deeds are written in the Book of Life.

Fun Fact

Let’s hook this parable to something else Jesus said. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence (sic) make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation” (Mt. 23: 14 KJV).

Another fun fact. Almost all of the modern versions leave this verse out.

There is a little dig in the story. God loves the problem child more than the child who isn’t a problem.

Simon would have thought that Jesus loved him more because he was a religious leader. That wasn’t the case.

I know we’ve talked before that God gives us different abilities and different levels of those abilities. We’ve also talked before that teachers and other influencers will also be required of more.

The point of this parable was that God forgave them both. In order to glorify Himself, He extended the opportunity to have the debt satisfied.

Cox felt that was because “she is more open to the words of Christ, and, once forgiven, shows incomparably the warmer love.”

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Does that mean God wants us to do the bad sins so He can love us more?

Well, are the good people going to think they really need God? Don’t many think their worldly morals are good enough?

Cox made another interesting statement. He wrote, “The much and the little of sin are for the most part measures of conscience, not of iniquity.”

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In the last devotion we talked about least commandments and how it might be easy to say we don’t have to obey them because we consider them least. God, however, does not.

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

I think that is what Cox was getting at when he talked about conscience and iniquity. Iniquities are sins of wanting to be like everyone else instead of God.

Bottom line is God does not want us to sin. Does He know we will anyway? Yes.

We know that God hates sin. “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers” (Prov. 6: 16-19 ESV).

Instead, God wants us to come to Him and ask forgiveness — whether we feel it is a big sin or a little sin. All sin is unacceptable to God.

God wants our motivation to be focused on our redo for godliness. That means inadvertent sin, not willful sin.

God also does not want us to judge others. We see the outside. God sees the heart.

Father God. Lord, we are so thankful that You forgive all who genuinely ask in faith. We pray that our redo for godliness changes us to be more like You. Amen.

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What do you think?

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