“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” - Luke 7:41-43

While Jesus sat for a meal at the home of Simon, a Pharisee, a woman came to Him. She began to wash His feet with her tears, and wipe them with her hair. She also kissed His feet and anointed them with fragrant oil. She loved much, because she was forgiven much.

I offer this question: Do you think that this woman was a worse sinner than Simon, the Pharisee? James reminds us that if we have broken even one of God’s commandments (and we all have broken several), we are guilty of all (James 2:10). I suspect that she loved much because she recognized the extent of her sin, and repented of it. We cannot recognize forgiveness for sin that we do not acknowledge. We cannot receive forgiveness for the sin that we do not repent of.

If our love for the Lord is not effusive like that of this woman, and we are not demonstrating our thankfulness by giving precious things, perhaps it is because we have not experienced the same level of forgiveness. If we are in denial about our sin, then we can’t recognize forgiveness for it. If we are still holding onto a pet sin, then we won’t receive forgiveness for it. Maybe it’s time to take inventory of our moral failures and repent of them. We just might enjoy the same overflow of joy and thanksgiving to Jesus that this woman did.