The Light Of Conviction

Luke 7:45-47---Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 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.

A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to dinner. Since the Pharisees were at odds with Jesus, Simon was really sticking his neck out to do this. Dinner was a time of conversation with friends, but Simon still held back many of the customary greetings for true friends. He did not wash the feet of his guest, give a kiss of greeting, or provide oil for his face. A woman of ill repute, who had realized the forgiveness that Christ offered, came into the house uninvited. She washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She kissed His feet and poured perfume on them. Simon began to think that he had made a mistake in inviting Jesus. What holy person would let a woman of her reputation touch them? Jesus shared a parable about men who were forgiven, one for a small debt and the other for a large debt. Jesus asked Simon who would be most grateful. He realized the one with the larger debt would, of course, be more grateful. Jesus had shown Simon that he was misinterpreting both the woman's heart and Jesus' receptivity to her. Then Jesus pointed out that she had done the things he refused to do. Simon would not love Jesus as much as she did, for he did not realize the depth of his sin debt as she did. Do you? The one who is forgiven much loves much. As you open yourself to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, you see the real ugliness of the old nature. The greater your understanding of your depravity, the more you will love Jesus for the forgiveness that only He could bring. Even Christians, because of the pain, often avoid the light of conviction. It should be welcome to those who desire to love Him more.