Grace Multiplies

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” Luke 7:39

A lady with an “alabaster flask of fragrant oil” had just entered the Pharisee’s house where Jesus was eating. In front of the men in the house, she bows before Jesus, kissed His feet, and anointed with the fragrant oil. She is described as a “sinner,” and, apparently, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, knelt before Him. The Pharisees criticized her. Then, Jesus teaches about the recognition of grace.

Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said.

Luke 7:41-43

In the story, the man who had the larger debt cancelled loved the debtor more. Then, turning back to the woman, Jesus summarized the event.

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:44-48

The woman was forgiven much and loved much. She recognized her sins and humbly bowed before Christ. This is a picture of people in the Bible. Countless testimonies are given of those who were forgiven much and loved much.

• Moses – a murderer who turned into a passionate leader of the Israelites for God.

• Peter – denied Jesus as He was being taken to the cross and passionately led His followers after His death.

• Paul – a killer of those who followed Jesus and became arguably the greatest missionary that ever lived.

• Mary Magdalene – healed of demons and became deeply committed to Christ, never leaving his side until His death.

The list goes on and on. The woman caught in adultery, Matthew, the tax collector turned disciple, Zacchaeus, etc. All of these people recognized the grace that they had received and were changed. They were forgiven much, and, naturally, loved much.

When Paul was preaching to the Church at Corinth, he made a penetrating statement to the believing crowd.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:2

“Unless you believed in vain.” Another translation says “unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.” Those in the Bible mentioned above did not “believe in vain.” Their lives were radically changed by the recognition of the forgiveness of Christ.

Have you received grace? Don’t receive it in vain. Turn around and examine your past, the love, forgiveness, grace you have been shown. Let this grace fuel a fire of forgiveness in you that shows great grace to others.

How can the one who humbly recognizes the forgiveness in their own life not freely give forgiveness to others?

Grace multiplies.

Impact others. Live generously.

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