Your Sins, Which are Many, are Forgiven

Luke 7:41-50 (ESV)
"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" [43] Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." [44] Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." [48] And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." [49] Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" [50] And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

The text indicates that the Pharisee here is named Simon. Jesus indicates that Simon owns the house. He belongs though to the Pharisees that are upset with the woman touching Jesus. They don’t get it. This is what Jesus explains in the parable. The more sin a person has to be forgiven of, the happier they receive forgiveness. Now, the truth is, the Pharisees just don’t understand the extent of their sinfulness. The woman’s sin weighed more on her. This is true of sin, some of it ways on us more than other sins. Some of it makes more of a mess concerning our earthly life. But at the bottom of all this, is the one plain fact that the Pharisees can’t begin to comprehend their sin. It is like talking to Mormons who think whatever sins they have are minor. Humans are in no place to judge that. We will convince ourselves any sin is a light thing if we enjoy doing it. We rarely see the destruction it actually causes. The Christian, learns to see it as death, more and more every day.
The law is a mirror, and when we take it seriously, we soon realize we have quite a bit more to be thankful for than we perhaps first thought. Jesus has forgiven our sins too.