Luke 7
³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ 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.”
⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[c] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
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—as her great love has shown. But whoever 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.”

This was the passage we did for international bible study last Friday, the 2nd entry from the iGIG guide (how many years has it been since I made that post? 7 years...God makes me keep my promises). It was one of those (increasing) moments where the simple bible study hits me harder than some dense theological study of Romans or Galatians. Here is a story that I have never heard any pastor preach on, and yet shows a woman who knew the Gospel so much. No other character of the Bible knew the Gospel this well, how sinful she is and how loved she is by Jesus. When I read this passage, I totally felt like Simon, who felt he has been forgiven little and thus loves Jesus little. If I, Daniel Lee, truly TRULY knew how deeply wicked I am and how much I needed to be forgiven, then now that I know I have a Grace and a Love that has wiped out all of my debts, how can I possibly not fall on my knees daily and wash my Lord's feet with my tears? Alas, that is where I realize how little of the message of the Gospel has seeped into my life, and how little I know of the Love that is as vast as the ocean. Oh there is still so much room for me to grow! I want to know you more!

Now Pastor Nate wants me to get coffee with the international seekers. Oh boy, I am going to pull out my super detailed (not really for) Children's Illustrated Bible and my NT Lego Bible. No fancy tricks, just prayer and the Gospel. That is really all they need.

Ugh we all have to own up to how little live out the Gospel in our daily lives. Preach the Gospel to yourself daily.