October 4, 2023

Luke 7: 40-43 Jesus answered him, “. . . Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. (NIV)

Every heart is contaminated and capable of horrendous wickedness.*

I suppose, if someone was keeping score, they would find that I have less to be forgiven for than say, Ted Bundy, or Adolph Hitler, or a sex-trafficker. I am far from sinless but by society’s standards, well, I haven’t hurt anybody. So, according to this story, I just might not love the Father as much as the penitent child molester does.

But, do I detect a hint of irony in the parable? Because as I understand it, no one is keeping score. Everyone’s slate is wiped clean when we are washed in the blood. The score: 0-0. 

There is still one small problem that we forgiven souls have to deal with: a clean slate does not erase the memories of the bad things we’ve done. The person with the most sins to be forgiven has the most potential to carry around a burden of guilt and shame. I, on the other hand, with my squeaky-clean past, have the most potential to be self-righteous. And judgmental.

We tend to give weight to sins that cause the most mayhem in the world, but God might not use the same measure. What I do know about his standards is this: God looks on the heart. Once he takes a look at mine, it could turn out that I am that person who has been forgiven the most. Only he knows!

Anyone with a window into my heart would know that sometimes my purity was all about appearances.*