Luke 7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Jesus’s statement made to the woman in this verse is one that probably no one expected to hear. The woman in question was a sinful, unnamed woman. She was associated with immorality and was therefore looked down upon and unappealing to those of the religious circles. Simon the Pharisee was quite critical of her, but rather than judge her, Jesus forgave her and sent her on her way with a blessing of peace.
Let’s look at the context a bit before we explore the application for ourselves.
Jesus had been invited to dine with Simon the Pharisee. The sinful woman entered Simon’s home uninvited, dropped to her knees and washed Jesus’s feet with her tears, wiping them clean with her hair before anointing them with an expensive oil. Simon critically judged her and Jesus for this act. Yet Jesus told her that her sins were forgiven before telling her that it was her faith that had saved her and sent her along in peace.
Can you imagine what Simon must have thought? Here he stood judging them, demonstrating his haughty, self-righteous attitude and Jesus offered her forgiveness and a blessing of peace – the same peace we have been learning about this month. He blessed her with a peace that emphasized a positive state of well-being and salvation. Simon had failed to give Jesus and His companions the basic cultural courtesies upon entering his home, such as water to wash their feet. Then he judged this woman harshly. Yet Jesus forgave her and blessed her. You can assume Simon would have assumed if anyone deserved blessings it would be him because of his position as a Pharisee and a righteous man of God. But he had failed to show basic courtesy, much less any love for a scorned woman.
What does this story have to do with us?
Maybe you feel like the scorned, sinful woman. You have many sins, many transgressions that everyone thinks are unforgivable, that you think can never be forgiven…
But they can and they will be if you turn away from your sins and repent and ask God to forgive you. No one is beyond His reach, beyond redemption. He loves all. He died for all. And that means that no matter how undeserving, how unloveable, how unforgivable you think you are, He is waiting to say, “My child. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Today is the day for a fresh start. Confess your sins and give them to Him. Ask for forgiveness. And then believe that He is waiting to say “your faith has saved you” and be filled with His blessing of peace.
Prayer: Lord, I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I repent of my sinful ways and want to follow You fully and wholeheartedly. Guide me as I follow You today and always. Amen
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