Gratitude

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.”
“A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he graciously forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” And 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. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Luke 8:40-47

In this scene, we see Jesus in the home of a Pharisee named Simon, being attended to by a woman described as “a sinner.” It is important to note here that Jesus’ ministry was not exclusive to “tax collectors and sinners,” as He chose to dine in the home of this Pharisee. He came for the Pharisee just as much as He came for the tax collector, and we find great benefit in that as the most prolific writer of the New Testament, Paul the Apostle, was himself a Pharisee before encountering the Lord on the road to Damascus.

This illustration offers a glimpse into the endless storeholds of grace God pours out on those who believe. Even while acknowledging a certain righteousness in the Pharisee’s religiosity, picturing him as the debtor who owed less, the fact remains that he still owed a debt which he could not pay. We know this because his debt as well as hers also required forgiveness. Jesus is not telling the Pharisee is that his lesser debt justifies him loving God less. On the contrary: this statement is a harsh rebuke. The Pharisee was still “in the red,” to carry on the analogy. Prior to encountering the Lord Jesus, he was in dire straits with only his man-made rulebook of traditions to cling to. He ought to have been grateful like the woman was grateful. He ought to have offered the Lord water for His feet, greeted Him with a kiss, and anointed His head with oil.

Are there people in your life who show you small graces? Do you take them for granted? Do you have a family member who always seems to be the first one up and makes the coffee? Is there a coworker who never fails to invite you to lunch? Do you have a friend who is willing to listen to you day or night? Be grateful for them, and show them gratitude. Today in America we are celebrating Thanksgiving. The holiday began as an annual memorial for all the ways we might be thankful for God’s protection over the previous year. It was celebrated at different times depending on your state or jurisdiction until the date was fixed following the American Civil War. It was then that the nation recognized a need to be particularly grateful when it appeared as though the whole country would fall to pieces. Do not wait for your relationships to reach their breaking point. Show gratitude and thank the people in your life for all the small things they do to bless you throughout the year.

And do not be like Simon. Recognize the burden of your sin that Jesus bore on the cross. Remember that its weight was too much for you to carry, and so He carried it for you. Do not think to yourself that your testimony is not as extreme as another’s, and therefore you have less of a duty to carry out the great commission. Consider the words of 1 John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us.” A single sin in the garden was enough to bring all of creation under the curse of death through Adam. No one’s debt is small even though another’s debt might be larger. Be thankful for all God has given you and the grace He has shown you by His Son. Love Him, bless Him, and glorify His Name because “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.