Love just may be the key to forgiveness and salvation!
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There’s one prayer that seems to transcend Christian denominationalism in the world.
It’s the one prayer every Christian knows.
Whether you’re Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, or Reformed, I’ sure you can say the Lord’s Prayer by heart.
Some of us even have it memorized in different languages.
But how many of us stop to think about what we’re saying when we pray it?
There’s one line in particular that always makes me cringe. It’s this line:
“…forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us!”
It’s a conditional statement. What makes it so scary is that God’s forgiveness of my sins and my salvation is dependent on how I forgive those around me.
I no longer have the excuse that so-and-so was mean to me, hurt me, or took advantage of me. Holding a grudge isn’t an option if I’m seeking the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Lord’s Prayer doesn’t have any escape clauses.
But forgiveness is much more than saying, “I’m sorry.” It’s an act that reaches out to your neighbor.
As the Gospel story from last Monday shows us, forgiveness also about love. Christ forgave a very sinful woman because she had great love. Our sins too can be forgiven if we also have great love.
HOSTING JESUS
Last Monday’s Gospel is one that’s well-known.
Jesus enters into the house of Pharisee to eat dinner.
Pharisees, of course, were well-respected religious leaders of their day. They had been trained in biblical studies and they knew religious law backward and forward. If anyone knew what to do in any situation, it was them.
As they were dining, in comes a “woman of the city.” We can imagine what St. Luke meant when he called her this.
What does she do?
[She]…brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 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. (Luke 7:37-38 RSV)
It seems manners have gone out the window!
She’s broken the rule of decency of her today. It wasn’t proper for a woman to approach a man she doesn’t know – even more so to touch him!
Now, imagine this scene: a strange woman approaches a well-respected teacher, she’s bawling, crying her eyes out, and then she wipes her tears all over Jesus’ feet. Then she takes her hair – and who knows if it’s clean or not – and starts to clean his feet with it! Then, after all of that, she pours oil on his feet.
What would you think?
You would probably be disgusted
Outraged!
Irate!
If you were the Pharisee who was hosting Jesus, you’d probably be embarrassed. After all, Jesus was your guest and it’s your job to look after him.
But, in a strange reversal, the Pharisee doesn’t get mad at the woman, he gets mad at Jesus.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, 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.” (Luke 7:39 RSV)
Well, that must have been the right thing to do – after all, this is a Pharisee and he knows his religion. Doubting a Pharisee would be like us doubting Emily Post on rules of dinner etiquette.
So, what does the Son of God have to say about all this?
INSULTING JESUS
Well, we find out and to tell you the truth, I’m glad I wasn’t hosting Jesus that day.
Jesus gets right to the point and berates the Pharisee for his lack of hospitality.
Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon [the Pharisee], “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. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. (Luke 7:44-46 RSV)
The Pharisee had insulted Jesus.
Everything a 1st century Judean would expect as middle-eastern hospitality had been thrown out the window with the bath water.
And the Pharisee even admitted he thought Jesus could have been a prophet.
Is that how you’d treat a prophet? Is that how you’d serve Jesus in your house?
WELCOMING JESUS
However, the point isn’t that the Pharisee had mistreated him. What Jesus wants to emphasize is the hospitality this woman showed him – the love she showed him.
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47 RSV)
Love wins the day!
We’re all familiar with the phrase, “you will know them by their fruits,” (Matthew 7:20), but in this case, it should be, “you will know them by their love.”
It’s not only our love that saves us but God’s love as well. The greatest love is the love God shows us by dying on the cross and trampling down death by death.
St. Paul says it in this way,
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:3 RSV)
Here is the greatest love that forgives not just some sins, but all sins.
WELCOMING OTHERS AS JESUS
Our task in all of this is to carry this love forward – both for those around us and for ourselves.
The Lord’s Prayer says God forgives as we forgive and the Bible shows us the way:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:38-45 RSV)
The key?
Learning to love.
With love, we at St. Elias, will find forgiveness and be witnesses for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
P.S. LET LOVE WIPE YOUR SINS CLEAN
I now invite you to enter deeper into the mystery of Christ with the Orthodox Church!
St. Elias Services
Saturdays, 5 pm (at St. John’s Parish House, 1458 Locust St, Dubuque, IA)
Sundays, 9:30 am (at Hillcrest Chapel, 2001 Asbury Rd, Dubuque, IA)
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