“YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU!”

 Luke 7:36-50                    (ESV)

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

“[36] One of the Pharisees asked HIM to eat with him, and HE went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. [37] And behold, A WOMAN OF THE CITY, WHO WAS A SINNER, when she learned that HE was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, [38] and STANDING BEHIND HIM at HIS feet, weeping, she began to wet HIS feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed HIS feet and anointed them with the ointment. [39] Now when the Pharisee WHO HAD INVITED HIM saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, HE would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” [40] And JESUS answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

[41] “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And HE said to him, “You have judged rightly.” [44] Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave ME no water for MY feet, but she has wet MY feet with her tears and wiped THEM with her hair. [45] You gave ME no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss MY feet. [46] You did not anoint MY head with oil, but she has anointed MY feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” [48] And HE said to her, “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” [49] Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “WHO is this, WHO even forgives sins?” [50] And HE said to the woman, “”YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU”; go in peace.””

When the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES explicitly tells you that “YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU”, HE doesn’t need to repeat HIMSELF to validate HIS Message!  JESUS “should have” been readily identifiable for anyone whose EYES had been OPENED.  Yet this Pharisee (a “supposed” man of GOD) could NOT SEE JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD, even though HE was sitting in his own home!  

But what about being baptized following her transformation?  And what about walking the aisle after her profession of FAITH?  No, she even hid behind HIM (Luke 7:38) when she washed HIS feet with the tears of her being permitted to wash the FEET of the ONE WHO had CREATED her!  This Pharisee was so caught up in identifying the “perceived” faults of this young lady that he FAILED to SEE that she was CHOSEN, something that he apparently didn’t have???

Being CHOSEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD is a JOY and PRIVILEGE that FEW people will ever realize!  It isn’t because we are special, but we are CHOSEN before we were even born!  Not because we are PERCEIVED as spiritual giants, but because GOD CHOSE me!  JESUS CHRIST KNEW that I I was going to SERVE HIM, because HE freely bestowed upon me the FAITH I needed to BELIEVE in HIM.  “YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU” is TOTALLY because HE CHOSE me (Ephesians 1:4) BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD!!!