“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” - Luke 7:47
In this age of communication and abundant information, one would think, we would be closer than ever as a human race, but oftentimes the opposite is true, we are just as guarded and segregated as ever. If we are divorced from the sufferings of our fellowman and numb to the simplistic call of Christ; perhaps it is not in the channel of communication, but the approach we take to communicate.
In Jesus’s day, the Pharisees were the religious elite. They held the high seats, wore the best robes, and only associated with those who were like them. Side note, as a church we continually face a constant temptation to become Pharisaical. When Jesus came on the scene some of them sought this man out, not as though he was the Son of God, but as though he was an equal. Simon was such a Pharisee (Luke 7), he went so far as to invite Jesus to his home, but the manner in which he approached Christ is not unlike many today (perhaps even some reading now). He gave him no kiss (a customary greeting), he gave him no basin to wash his feet (a gesture of kindness). He approached Jesus, yes, but he did it in a guarded and careful manner. Essentially, he said to his peers, himself, and Christ: “Let there be no mistake, I am intrigued by you, but not invested in you.” Now, while they spoke, a woman, a sinner, comes up to Jesus and begins to bath his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair (how awkward this must have been for her and those around her); she then proceeds to anoint his head with oil. How we approach Jesus Christ can determine the destiny of our immortal soul. How we approach Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death. Simon the Pharisee saw him as an equal and one that could be accepted or dismissed, he was guarded and full of care towards Jesus. The women didn't care what anyone thought about her, she was not worried about what others would say or think; she approach Jesus recklessly, fanatically, and completely. She wasn't just intrigued by him, she was invested, abandoned, and totally devoted to Jesus. He was her salvation and she treated him as such. If we are to obtain salvation, we cannot approach Christ like a research paper. We cannot seek him half-heartedly. You must not communicate with him like you would a casual friend. That is to say, I will bash out a little text message every now and again while I surf the web, eat my dinner, and watch TV. The Bible teaches us that for Christ to forgive and save your soul you must come to him as the women did. You must approach Christ wholly, completely, entirely, with no regard for the cost or the shame that it may bring you. You must, I must, we must, love much. In this is the key to salvation, and the approach that will bring it to pass.
It is in love and in sacrifice that we approached God and His Christ. Is that not the same approach He took? Almighty God reached way down and loved a fallen man. He sent His only Son to die for us and take the punishment for sin. When we repent and give our all to Christ; he not only forgives us, but he sanctifies us wholly. Now, in this same love we can approach our neighbor with the desire to impart the same love wherewith he loved us. It is an approach in righteousness.
