Are You Forgiven?

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.
Luke 7:47

There is a subtle, but enormous, problem for Simon the Pharisee in these words of Jesus to him. And that is that he has more than a little to forgive. If "little" has been forgiven him, then that is to say that nothing has been forgiven him at all.

Dear reader, we have much of which to be forgiven. We should love much. We should be full of affection to Christ. Our service should pour out to Him, even just onto His feet (the least admired or pleasant service), if that is what is available to us. Because the warmth of our hearts should pour out to Him Who has forgiven us so very much, and Who has endured so very much for that forgiveness.

We can also take caution from Simon's conduct. Here, he had holy conference with Jesus Christ. But his heart was so engaged in despising and judging the woman, and even in judging of Christ on her account, that he had no inclinations of admiration or affection toward Christ at the time. This says something to how we might conduct ourselves in the public worship, where we have holy conference with Jesus Christ, and with God in Jesus Christ. If we have so little warmth of affection for Him that it is easily snuffed out by our thoughts of others, we ought to be alarmed that we love so little.

For, if we are forgiven little, then that is to say that we are not forgiven at all.