Luke 7:47 Forgiven Little ...Then You Must Love Little?

Luke 7:47 'Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven --- for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.

At first it may appear that there is some good about being a more severe sinner than "average". It sounds like only people who sin a lot can love a lot, therefore I guess we can find some good in our sin. Since Paul also wrote (I Cor 13:13) that the greatest of Faith, Hope and Love ... was Love, then Jesus was outlining the path to great love ... was he not?

Well of course not, but let's reconcile what it seems to be implying with the circumstances and context of when He said that. 

Luke 7:36-50  36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and 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.39 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." 

Let's take note of a few notable observations. The Pharisee was interested in Jesus enough to invite him to his house, however it also appears that he had a benign respect for Jesus by his comment “if this man was a prophet”. I suggest that the Pharisee was a skeptic leaning toward unbelief in Jesus as a qualified teacher. Also take note that even though it was public knowledge that the woman was sinful, she still was brave enough to come to the Pharisee's event. Finally, one commentary points out that Luke was narrating from the standpoint of public opinion. It is not who Luke thought she was,  it was a narration of what the public opinion was.

Let's keep reading

40 Jesus answered him,"Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. 41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Have you ever had trouble paying your bills? Ever felt the pit in your stomach that the thought of bankruptcy might bring? Jesus was using the metaphor of debt and the pain associated with that experience to reveal to the Pharisee who he really was.

When Jesus said the Pharisee had "judged correctly" he was indicating that the Pharisee, like most of us, cannot escape measuring even our own bankruptcy against the bankruptcy of others! When Jesus asked "which of them will love him more" he was not saying which one should love him more, he was saying which one would love him more!

The reality of the story is they were both bankrupt. Both he and the sinful woman were in the same depraved condition. Most of us feel just like the Pharisee … we feel less convicted, less remorseful, and yes even less condemned when someone else’s misery and or sin is more severe than ours. 

Now Jesus describes the reality of what was happening.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss,but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."48 Then Jesus said to her,"Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Let's acknowledge right away that the love being referred to is not not a love that generates salvation! While ultimately belief in Jesus and love for him and what He did for us does generate salvation, Jesus specifically points out that it was not the woman's deeds of washing his feet that was saving her. It was what happened to her before she washed his feet ... her love was evidence of the salvation she had already acquired. For Jesus reminded everyone of this when he said in verse 50 "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 

The sinful woman’s tears were probably a mixture of the joy in attending to Jesus, and the painful remembrance of her prior experience of brokenness. One way to describe brokenness is when the inward momentum of sorrow & guilt reaches a level of uncontrollable remorse. Her sorrow, remorse, and her painful but joyful remembrance of her past forgiveness were being poured out by her act of agape love. 

Friends, being broken is the fertile ground where agape love rises from. This is not an every day event. However, it should not be a one time event. You may say to me, how can I be broken? I am not a prostitute nor have I reached rock bottom through some form of public humiliation. Folks, we do not have to experience public humiliation to be broken.

Paul shared his own experiencing of  brokenness. Let's read parts of what Paul went through.

Romans 7:14-24   We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24What a wretched man I am! 

Please note that Paul was not writing about what he did before. He was writing about what he was doing!  Paul was broken more than once and we can be broken multiple times too.

Theologically accenting to our sin and depravity is fairly easy. However, accepting the hopelessness of our own ability to emerge from bankruptcy on our own apart from the sin we see in others is very hard. The Pharisee was not seeing his own sin apart from the sin of this woman. Jesus was teaching him that he needed to understand his own condition in order to begin to love like the woman. It is also a concept that we need to acknowledge and pray we can understand and embrace since it is so hard to do.

If you accept to mentally travel on this journey toward personal brokenness you will eventually become frustrated with yourself, just as Paul did. However, during this journey when you reach that place of authentic and heartfelt hopelessness and remorse ... you will at that moment, experience how massive is the grace of God … and the resulting joy and peace which is impossible to describe. It is in these moments, as we absorb the massive grace of God that the fruit of love flows from us more freely toward those who are in desperate need of love and/or in need of some form of help. 

What does our love look like?  The sinful woman?  Or the Pharisee?

The answer to that question can be directly be related to how we view the size of our debt.

From What Height Have You Fallen From?

Are you scared of heights? I am. Every time I get more than 10 feet up a ladder or look down from over 1 floor of a building I get that knot in my stomach. That knot which tells me I am too high for comfort and that I could fall and do some real damage to my body, even death. I think in a lot of ways we get scared of going high with the Lord. Some of our culture holds us back, sometimes it is the tradition in us, and sometimes we just feel like our level with Christ need not elevate any further. Some begin to feel they are high enough with the Lord. If we are high enough to get into heaven, why go any higher here on earth!

There was a church that once was commended by the Apostle Paul. Paul gave prayer and thanksgiving for the believers in ancient Ephesus when he heard of the height of their faith and love for each other. In Chapter 1 of Ephesians he prays for more growth! Ephesians 1:18-19a ^“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe… “What Paul wanted was for the Ephesians to continue higher and experience the hope that would produce great power in them.

 

Later in Revelation 2, Jesus commends the believers in Ephesus for their perseverance. However, their “fall”  and lack of growth Jesus holds against them. 

In Revelations 2: 4-5 Christ says, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 

In fact the church had fallen down to a lower foothill and found contentment in that lower height. Friends, it is at these lower heights that we will experience the LACK of the power of God. Without the power of God we find ourselves ripe for our sinful nature to take over. It is at lower heights that we will lack the power to win more battles over the devil and/or our own sinful nature.

Why is it that we such a hard time taking the next leg up in our relationship with God? I believe our religious culture holds us back and our leaders do too. I have never been able to figure out why Muslims have no problem bowing down unashamedly on mats so their heads hit the floor in acts of worship to what? … A lie!  We, on the other hand sometimes feel we have reached the pinnacle of worship when we are able to raise one hand high in worship if and when the music drives enough emotion in us… to whom?  …. The true creator and King, Jesus Christ!  Is there something wrong with that picture? Is God looking down at us and saying “Are you kidding me?”

Lately I have had a metaphoric knot in my stomach, and it is not because I am on a ladder while I type. It is because I remember the heights of my growth in Christ and I just do not feel as high today.  It has not resulted in any unbelief, but I can feel a loss of the power of Christ. I am writing most of this right now as I am up in Northern Wisconsin on a study/vacation break trying to re-climb the hill I was once on. Many of you know exactly what I am talking about. Your growth curve in Christ was once steep but you are now on top of a foothill and in the face of a larger mountain that you just might not climb. The view from the foothill you are on is just fine with you. You can see enough of God from that height and know that if you climbed higher the air might be hard to breath, and just feel powerless to muster another leg up. Some of you are like me, who were climbing up well; but then … through lack of study and faith regressed.  

I would love to re-climb and surpass the height of my former peak. I just wonder if any of you are getting a knot in your stomach and need to come along?

Oh Lord, It's Hard to be Humble

Numbers 12:3 Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. Luke 14:8-10 When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him....But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored.

Do you remember that song by Mac Davis? It began like this:

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way.

I can't wait to look in the mirror cause I get better looking each day.

To know me is to love me I must be a hell of a man.

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble but I'm doing the best that I can.

Something tells me that Mac Davis was not singing this to our Lord, describing his struggle. Nor do I know if Davis felt bad about his lack of humility, if he was indeed singing about himself. I do remember seeing video of him singing this song, and I remember the smile on his face as he made light of the irony of pride in singing it. Either way, the words are a magnet to our flesh. How can we tell if we really are stuck in this mud?

Pride Vs. Confidence

First, let us not confuse pride with confidence. You need confidence as a leader, and the people you lead need to see that to believe in you and your vision. If they don't sense you are confident, they will not follow you anywhere but very safe places. However, God calls leaders to unsafe ventures that require faith in Him. Godly confidence comes from God repeatedly demonstrating His favor on our ventures when we proceed with faith and confidence in HIM.

Don't confuse humility with confide

An example of this is Gideon, a person whose faith was strengthened by his repeated experience of God's favor when He patiently delivered the signs that Gideon wanted. Imagine the level of confidence that it took to convince 300 men to battle against thousands. Gideon was a weak personally, but I suggest to you that he looked VERY CONFIDENT to those he led.

Friends, it is hard to be humble, and stay humble, especially if you are a leader, but it is not impossible. When it comes to humility, God does look favorably on two kinds of leaders:

1. Truly humble people like Moses, whose humility was part of his character.

2. People who struggle with pride, but through obedience, PRACTICE humility.

The Bible reference today states that Moses was the most humble person on earth. Yet he is the acknowledged author of the very book and chapter that states this. Was that a lie? Was he like Don King, the famous boxing promoter who once touted his own immense humility? I think not. In fact, Moses challenged Pharaoh by speaking the following words of the Lord.

"How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me” (Exodus 10:3 ESV)? He also exhorted his own people by saying, "And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God had led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you ...” (Deut. 8:2  ESV). 

Moses' humility was authentic even though he exhorted those without it.

Choosing Humility

If you are a leader who struggles with pride, or if you have a worker who you are leading who struggles with pride, you, like Moses, can help both your follower and yourself. Choose to practice humility yourself and help those you lead practice it too.

Jesus taught that one should choose the least important chair at the wedding feast. He didn’t teach us this because he wanted to demean those with pride. No, he taught this so that those who are prideful could experience the blessing and honor that would come from someone asking them to take the more honorable chair and position at the banquet. Christ wanted prideful people to experience the joy of what a humble heart receives by the PRACTICE of humility! Christ wants to honor our efforts, even if our hearts are not in it!  

Friends, the more significant you become, the harder it will be to be humble. Prepare for battle. Be humble, and when that is hard to do, practice humility.

Leadership & Revenge

Romans 12:17-21 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Usually, I begin most of my teaching sessions with a self-examination in which I ask participants to think about their world views and the roots of their leadership practices. When we are honest with ourselves, it is interesting to consider what has shaped us. Indeed, I begin many seminars with by asking what draws us to the realm of leadership. All participants answer the same: power, position, fame and fortune.

For the last several years, one of the top rated shows on TV has been “The Apprentice.” When I watch it, I cannot help think about the lessons that this show is teaching about leadership. It is all about fighting your way to the top of the heap. To help combat this “teaching,” I draw a contrast between the life of Christ and contemporary leader Donald Trump. They are so different!

Quite some time ago, one seminar participant raised his hand and commented that Donald Trump did have some practices that we can learn from. I knew this person fairly well, and knew that he was a godly man, very dedicated to following Christ. Therefore, I will not forget this example of how evil philosophy gains access to the Christian’s life.

Christ’s Leadership Vs. Donald Trump’s Leadership

Trump could be that perfect example of a "wolf in sheep's clothing.” Find one or two practices of Donald Trump that can have a positive impact on your wealth and/or stature, and you will find yourself defending Donald Trump and unconsciously adopting more of his philosophy and practices.

Having seen enough of Trump's TV program, I wanted to see if Trump put in writing what I was seeing on TV. I proceeded to the book store and bought his book, Think Big and Kick Ass. It did not take me long to find that revenge was one of his core beliefs. In fact, he named and dedicated an entire chapter to it. Using a multitude of quotes and summary statements, he teaches revenge with instructions such as:

1. “That's why I say when you are wronged, go after those people, because it is a good feeling...I love it…
2. “When someone screws you, screw them back in spades.”
3. “Always have a good reason to get even.”
4. “Go for the jugular so that people watching will not want to mess with you.”

Forgive me if you feel I should be editing his title and language, but I leave it in its original form to prove a secondary point, that what you say and do greatly affects other leaders. Watch and listen to what governors and former presidents say and do; then tell me that your leadership has no influence on life and language? Forgive me, for I digress.
 

What the Bible Says About Revenge

Samson and Saul prayed earnestly for the Lord to grant them revenge against their enemies. First Samuel 18:25 says:

"Saul replied, ‘Say to David, The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’

If that was not in the Bible, you would accuse me of embellishing this article. Leaders, you will experience days when you will have an opportunity to get revenge. There will be other days when you just think about it.

Friends, don't do it. In fact, don't even enjoy the satisfaction of picturing what you would like to do! Furthermore, don't even withdraw from your enemies or from those that don't do as you wish. These more subtle and covert forms of revenge can come in several forms. You can:

1. Strategize against them.
2. Withdraw from speaking to them.
3. Withdraw from supporting them in their good endeavors.

Paul reminds us in the scripture today that God said, "It is mine to avenge.” As Christian leaders, let us leave that kind of judgment and punishment to Him. Our job is to not only love those who don't do as we wish, but also supply those who hurt us with act of kindness.

Our scripture today concludes with, "In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." The ultimate subtleness of revenge would be to find satisfaction in watching how your kindness torments those who have hurt you. However, we must acknowledge that only the Holy Spirit can bring conviction or guilt to the wrongdoer. While we might like to help, it’s important that we be intentional about repelling that most covert urge. When we repay evil with good, we need to do so with a true, good intent.

 Friends, every day we choose whose leadership we emulate. Please consider whose life your leadership most reflects. Please also consider the ideology and practices of who you follow or whose books you read. Consider if and how you have used revenge. Discard its use and enjoy the value of the absence of revenge, as well as the joy that brings to your team.

Is Your Leadership a Joke?

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according ot their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 1 Corinthians 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

I think God wants us to have fun and
laugh sometimes.

I am not sure how you feel, but I cannot imagine working in any business or ministry without some sort of humor peppered within the workday. When Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that the whole duty of man was to fear God, obey His commands, and therefore find enjoyment in all his work, I think that had to include a bit of fun and laughter. I think laughter and joy are sisters.

However, can you recall a New Testament story that describes laughter? I cannot remember or find an instance where Jesus told a joke or where He intended to be funny. What conclusion, if any, can or should we glean from this? What did Paul mean in our verse above about unwholesome talk? Was he trying to teach us not to joke around?

Is Joking Unwholesome Talk?

I suspect that most of us can tell the difference between a "clean" joke and a "dirty" one. Is an "unwholesome" joke somewhere in between? Does an unwholesome joke need to contain slang—or cursing? Does it contain sexual content or connotation? How can Christians guard against using humor in ungodly ways? Does unwholesome talk refer only to humor? I suspect not. I believe it refers to everything that comes out of our mouth, everything that we type, and, yes, even things we forward through email.

Sometimes guarding mouths is worth the cost of getting a
laugh.

Guarding Our Mouths Against Unwholesome Talk

Over fifteen years ago, I was stopped by a traffic cop. He wrote me a ticket for what I believe even to this day was an unbelievable citation (too long to explain; you will have to trust me on this one). In my disgust with this man, I told him he "was a jerk" and that he was just trying to "be a tough guy.” I told him this to his face—several times.

That very night, I went to lead my small group. Trying to be a transparent leader, and with some remorse, I shared with my group the whole story, including the exact language I used. At the end of my "testimony" there was a bit of laughter, undoubtedly because I got away with saying to this cop what some of my small group might like to say themselves. After the laughter died down, one elderly group member said to me, "Ron, I cannot believe you said something like that,” and after a pause she pushed the dagger in deeper with her final lament: "You are our teacher.”

 "Leadership is a serious matter. It is no joke."

The disappointment in her voice made an indelible mark on my heart that I will never forget. If you re-read our second scripture verse, you’ll see that she had “entrusted me” as her teacher, yet my behavior was not as faithful as one entrusted with that title. That verse was highlighted in my own Bible. It then sprang from my own closed Bible into my brain, convicting me even more by my own yellow highlighter. I walked away from that small group meeting with more than one lesson learned.

Friends and leaders, watch your mouths, your words, and your mouse. People are watching and listening to us. Be careful with your humor, for this you can be sure of— leadership is a serious matter. It is no joke.


Photos courtesy of APDK and 2493.

What Was Your Last Temptation?

A short while ago, we installed three new deacons in our church. As these individuals were starting a new ministry in their lives, I decided to examine the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (Luke 4:1-13) in order pray more specifically for them and to see what challenges they might face as they too embarked on a road of Christian service. Through my reading, I was reminded of the direct link between the devil’s efforts and the beginning of Jesus’ main ministry. I could not help seeing the significance of this correlation, not only for the deacons but also for the lives of all Christians when they become leaders.

"I was reminded of the direct link between the devil’s efforts and the beginning of Jesus’ main ministry. I could not help seeing the significance of this correlation, not only for the deacons but also for the lives of all Christians when they become leaders."

No matter how unimportant you think you are,
the devil will try to tempt you too.

Although you might be prone to excuse the Christian leader in business from this kind of devilish temptation, I say not so fast. If you find yourself in a position to impact the kingdom, and you find the air you breathe supporting your kingdom purpose - please join the crowd; the amount of temptation you experience will exponentially increase when you are at the beginning any new ministry, whether it be overt through a ministry or under cover through your business. However, by examining Jesus’ example of dealing with temptation, we can become prepared to block the devil’s strikes against us.

What We Can Learn from Jesus’ Temptation

As you probably recall, Jesus experienced Satan’s tempting at the very beginning of his ministry, when he retreated into the desert. There, Satan focused his temptation on three areas.

1. Jesus’ Needs

2. Jesus’ Authority

3. Jesus’ Relationship with the Father

In each case, Satan repackaged a facet of Jesus’ life as a lure to temptation.

Repackaging: If temptation were obvious, it wouldn’t be such a challenge to overcome it. Satan doesn’t usually tempt us by showing us pictures of awful deeds that hurt God and our neighbors. Instead, he takes those awful deeds and wraps them in bright, attractive paper, repackaging them to look appealing so we fall for them.

Satan can repackage physical needs as temptations.

His Needs

After 40 days without food, the human side of Jesus was hungry. Satan repackaged that physical need by asking Jesus to change the stones into bread to prove who He was. Jesus could have rationalized this by saying, “There certainly should be nothing wrong with me turning these stones into bread, for I can do nothing for my Father if I am unhealthy.”

Sound familiar? Maybe you haven’t been trying to rationalize a food need, but how about some other need? How about a lavish vacation or new toy to help “restore” you from your work or the stress you find yourself in?  Jesus answered the devil and said, “Man does not live on bread alone,” proving that He knew the big picture and was not going to be tempted by a perceived need.  We need to have the wisdom to know the difference between our true needs and our hidden wants.

 
His Authority

Every Christian leader can expect to be tempted in the way that Christ was during this second temptation—manipulation by the devil. The devil will disguise his desire that you honor him by offering you something you think is useful and/or righteous. In Jesus’ case, he was ironically offering Christ a level of authority he already had. The devil knew this and was repackaging his offer to get Jesus to worship him. One of the lessons that we can learn from this passage is to examine what God has already blessed us with and determine if the devil is trying to use it against God.  God may have blessed a man with a brand new fishing boat, but the devil wants that very same boat to possess his extra time, keeping him on the lake and out of God’s house of worship.

His Relationship with the Father

The third way in which Christ was tempted was through Satan’s effort to break up His family. When the devil implored Christ to “throw [Himself] down” from the temple, he asked Jesus to do so in order to prove that he really was the “Son of God.” In other words, the devil engaged in a manipulation attempt by telling Christ that he needs to test and prove God’s love for him. Ironically, if Christ had jumped, he would have certainly been denying the Father. Since Jesus knew he could avoid being severely hurt or killed using his own power, His jumping would have simply been a test of His Father’s love, which was just what Satan wanted.

When we succumb to Satan’s manipulation by testing God, it sometimes shows a level of laziness. For example: It is easier to test God with caring for our health than to do our part in exercising and caring for ourselves. If we simply want God to care for our health because we are too lazy to be obedient and take the time to care for ourselves then God will tell us what Jesus told the devil in verse 12 of our scripture, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Unlike Gideon asking for signs to increase his faith, these kinds of tests are simply disrespectful and can cause a break in our relationship with God. On the Discovery Channel last week, I witnessed a bear track down a young deer. I watched the deer first being separated from his family, and then killed by the first bear bite to his neck. Friends, the devil goes for the neck. It is the blood supply path to the whole body.

Leaders are like necks, and the devil is going for you first.

Therefore, be careful my friends. Satan will repackage things to deceive you, so make sure you look beyond the wrapping and into the contents of each “delivery.”

Photos courtesy of iMaffo and Roger Imp.