By Judy Villanueva

Luke 7:36-50


When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 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.

When 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.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

“What are you grateful for this year?”  I asked my husband. We sat quietly together running back over the year in our minds, sifting for God’s good and kind provision. A flood of sweet memories swept through and lined up to be named, each one a blessing for which we are so very grateful. Relationships, health, and daily bread along with coffee in the morning and a warm bed at night —  daisies, snowflakes, rainbows, and baby kisses — colors, wind, good books and skies that show up each day uniquely dressed in splendor!  It felt good to recount  blessings and give thanks but there is something about this story that calls me to go deeper.

As I read this passage two questions come to mind.  The first is, “Am I this grateful?” and the second is, “Have I grown too use to being forgiven?”

Suddenly, this isn’t just a familiar story but an encounter where I am a witness to kisses and tears, an outpouring of oil, and a heart exploding with gratitude!

It causes me to take inventory of my own heart and consider  this woman’s act of thanksgiving.   She threw it all down,  all she had to love Jesus and as I read the story again it occurs to me that she was grateful for something far beyond any gift this world has to offer.

When Jesus asks Simon who will love more, the person who has been forgiven little or the one who has been forgiven much, I am startled!  Of course!  The magnitude of the woman’s thankfulness hits me and I finally understand.  She knows she has been forgiven much and cannot stop living and giving gratitude to Jesus.  Worship spills out of her as she lavishly loves Jesus with all that she possesses.

She has been forgiven, accepted and loved!

At the cost of her dignity, she lets down her hair and pours out a year’s wage so that she can shout “Thank you!” to her King!  Enfolded in the beauty of her worship I feel my own heart humbled and hungry to wake up and feel the grace I have been given.  I, too, want to worship with kisses and tears and the best I have to offer.

“Lord, I have been forgiven, accepted and loved. Help me to touch this gift and feel its power so that I cannot help but respond by loving lavishly and freely.  Amen.”

What about you?

Are you grateful?  Are you awake to the grace that you have been given?

Have you gotten use to being forgiven?

Are you living free and forgiven?

How are you living and giving gratitude to Jesus?

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