Luke 7:48-50 (NIV) Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Even though Jesus had told a parable about the comparative gratitude of those who have been forgiven much and those who have been forgiven little, no forgiveness had yet been extended to either the Pharisee or the woman. So far Jesus had merely pointed out the extreme differences in the hearts of these two: the woman’s repentant and seeking heart, and the hard heart of the Pharisee.
But now that He had explained the difference, he extended forgiveness to the woman whose sincere repentance had opened the door for her to receive it. Four simple words, “Your sins are forgiven,” changed her heart and her whole life. They signaled for her a clean slate, a fresh start, and a renewed relationship with God that transformed who she was on the spot.
Of course, the Pharisee and the other guests were scandalized by this. In most translations, the response of the guests seems very mild. But their response was actually similar to, “Who does this guy think He is, pronouncing forgiveness of sins like that?!” Everyone knew that only God could forgive sins, and that that would only be done after all of the appropriate sacrifices had been made. But here was Jesus, pronouncing this woman’s sins forgiven after a few tears and some spilled perfume, and doing it as if that forgiveness was a fact! It didn’t make sense to them.
But Jesus was completely focused on the woman. Ignoring the chatter from those seated with Him at the table, He dismissed the woman. Her faith, her belief that Jesus could mediate God’s forgiveness to her, had in fact saved her and washed her clean from her sins. Her desperation for forgiveness had ironically given her an insight into the nature of Jesus, to His identity with God, that had completely escaped the Pharisee, who had made the study of God’s word the focus of his life.
Father, we can get so sophisticated in our religion that we overlook the deep truths that You want to reveal to our hearts. Help me, Lord, to always keep a simple faith, based in a powerful relationship with You, and which is able to receive everything that You have for me every single day. Amen.