Over the summer and fall I had a handful of experiences with Jesus that I hope to never forget. Each time I was alone at home and for a few hours I felt the presence of God. It was pure fun, full of bliss, complete freedom, and playful. I had a ball with God. It was also educational. Most of the learning was very personal and not worth sharing. Thematically, this time consisted of an enveloping of his inseparable love. Further, He opened my eyes over and over again to how He treats people in the scriptures, particularly sinners and enemies.

It turns out, Jesus goes gaga over sinners! His consistent response to sin is with grace and forgiveness and not judgment or condemnation. Jesus deals with the problem of evil through kindness and by absolving it through His death and resurrection. These experiences climaxed with a spotlight on the unforgiveness I had in my own life and how that unforgiveness was harming me. It was as if God was saying, “now you’ve seen how much I love you, and now you see how I treat all my children regardless of their conduct, and now you are going to do it yourself because the only way forward to a life of peace for you is love and forgiveness.” It is a real possibility that He could prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.

In Luke 7:36-50 Jesus is invited by Simon the Pharisee to join him and his acquaintances for dinner. Word gets out that Jesus is there and a woman shows up with an alabaster box of ointment. She begins to cry when she sees Jesus. Her tears land on Jesus’ feet and she wipes them off with her hair, kisses his feet, and anoints them with the ointment. The Pharisee says within himself if Jesus was really a prophet he would know what type of woman this is that’s touching him and that she is a sinner. Either Simon the Pharisee has personal knowledge of her reputation or it is common knowledge.

Jesus knows what the Pharisee is thinking and tells him a parable about a creditor who has just two people in debt to him. This is a lesson on how Jesus treats sinners. Maybe he chooses two debtors to contrast the pharisee and the woman? The two people in debt had nothing to repay the creditor. Jesus says “when they had nothing to pay” then the creditor forgave them. What did they do with the money they borrowed? The creditor doesn’t seem to care, and the creditor doesn’t seem to care to have lost his earnings (all three have lost money in the parable). This loan shark is awful at his job. He waits until they have nothing to pay. This is crazy. Why doesn’t he come by the house weekly to check on them? If you have ever owed money, had some of your accounts in arrears, phone ringing all day with collectors, and heard these words: “this is an attempt to collect a debt”, then you know this guy is the worst shark in town. Any other shark would have broken your legs, set your business on fire, taken money from your account, or put a lien on you. I had a grandfather that was a legit loan shark. Nobody missed a payment. This type of forgiveness is rare especially when it comes to money.

The creditor has a rightful expectation to be paid for his lending. The by-product of an unpaid debt or offense is an expectation of repayment (with interest!) or justice to be made. This expectation can easily lead to bitterness and resentment (it probably will lead there). An environment of offense and injustice, is fertile ground for forgiveness. Forgiveness can only manifest in an environment where an offense has occurred.

One way of describing forgiveness is to let go of the desire for justice or repayment. Extinguishing the expectation and losing all memory of it. When the creditor forgives the debt it severs his expectation of being repaid. It liberates the creditor from the debt just as it does the debtor. The way to freedom and peace is through forgiveness, not justice. Forgiveness is the way to sever the expectation of justice. Forgiveness severs the psychic baggage. A death takes place for this to happen.

Jesus said a lot of radical things and his teaching on loving and forgiving the enemy could be some of the most extreme. Forgiveness and love for the sinner are intertwined in God’s mind. Jesus asks the Pharisee who would have the greater capacity for love, the one who is in debt the most or the least? The pharisee answers correctly by saying the one whom he forgave most will love the lender more. Those that have racked up more sinful debt, and are forgiven, have a greater capacity to love. Make no bones about it, the creditor is looking for love too. “He that covers a transgression seeks love (Prov 17:9).” Jesus knows the more sinners he hands the free gift of grace too, he’s going to be loved lavishly more. Jesus goes on to compare the woman’s display to the pharisee’s and the pharisee falls way short. He didn’t anoint Jesus, greet him with a kiss, or give him water for his feet. She has the nerve and guts to march in this holy man’s house and behave like this with no reservation. Further, notice how she never says a word. She doesn’t ask for forgiveness. Jesus is handing out forgiveness like candy to sinners because he is certain that his life, death, and resurrection is the only thing that matters. She loves him and Jesus knows it. The Pharisee loves little and Jesus knows it.

God is love and his response to sin is to forgive it. Jesus shows that this woman’s display of affection and love towards him is because of how forgiven she is. Jesus gives more clues on the why of this practice:

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and you will be the children of the Highest: for he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.” (Lk 6:35)

Jesus saw the father do this. His love is designed to cover all sin (Prov 10:12). He knows our frame. God is kind to the unthankful and evil. Jesus’ consistently responds to sin with forgiveness, even while he is at his physical worst he refuses to condemn. He’s generous and is not coming to collect a debt.

COMMENTS

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