My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 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. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. Luke 7:46-48 (KJV)

I don’t know abou you, but like this woman, my sins were many. I was drowning in guilt, shame, regret and the consequences of my negative actions. I seriously needed saving, and when I was introduced to the Lifesaver, Jesus, I reached for Him like someone going under for the last time.

As we grow and live this Christian life, it can be easy to forget where we came from and what Jesus has done for us. We can become accustomed to the clean way we feel as children of God and lose sight of what it’s like to be filthy and weighted down by sin. We forget the fresh way life looked when we first received Jesus, and how much He has done for us. And we can even begin to look down on others who are not saved as if they are somehow lower than we are.

We have not been saved so we can judge and condemn others. We are saved so we can be in fellowship with Jesus. And as children of God, we are to love those who have not yet recognized their need for the Savior. We are not better than others because we are born again; we are just better off.

The verse above speaks of a sinful woman who anointed Jesus feet. While the Pharisees judged and condemned her, Jesus loved and forgave her. Who do you see yourself as in the story? Do you see yourself as the woman, the recipient of forgiveness and cleansing? Or do you see yourself as one of the Pharisees, looking down on the sinner and not interested in leading them to forgiveness? Instead, as a Christian, I hope you see yourself as Jesus, ready to embrace the sinner and show them the way to God.

Thank God I’m forgiven. We are so blessed to have a Savior who has taken our punishment. I am forever grateful to be forgiven and free of the slavery of sin. Let’s commit ourselves anew to loving people into the kingdom of God rather than looking down on them so they too can experience the power of forgiveness.