Jesus often used parables to illuminate the minds and hearts of those to whom he spoke. One of my favorite is found in Luke 7 in which a sinful woman comes to the home of a Pharisee (a man who held to a very strict observance of the Jewish law) and proceeds to love on Jesus in any way she could. She cried and wet his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and then anointed them with perfumed oil. Jesus could sense the Pharisee’s disapproval and shared this parable with him:
“A certain lender had two debtors. One owed enough money to pay five hundred people for a day’s work. The other owed enough money for fifty. When they couldn’t pay, the lender forgave the debts of them both. Which one will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the largest debt cancelled.” Jesus said, “You have judged correctly.”
Luke 7:41-43 CEB
While the Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) sometimes we has humans forget that God sees things much differently than we do. We tend to puff up ourselves and think things like, “Well, yes, I’m a sinner, but I’m not nearly as bad as (insert a worse sinner here!)” or I may have done this thing, but it could be worse; I’ve never done (insert the worst sin you can think of that doesn’t apply to you, but sure makes you feel better about yourself!). We’ve all had these thoughts. But think about this: This parable suggests that those whose sins have gone deepest, and those who have been the most broken and lost have the greatest capacity to love Jesus because they realize just how great was the disparity that existed in their lives before they were saved.
When you encountered Jesus, did you see yourself as Peter who floundered in the water for a few brief seconds before Jesus extended his hand to you and then you replied, “Thanks Jesus! That was a close call!” and give him a light fist bump, or do you see yourself as Lazarus, dead and buried in a tomb for four days before Jesus called you out? I think that after Lazarus realized how long he had been dead before he was not only saved but completely resurrected from the grave might have given him some extra ability to love Jesus, don’t you? The depths to which a person realized how far he or she was from God is the amount of love that person is capable of pouring out at Jesus’ feet. Those who have the greatest capacity to love Jesus and to love the world are so important to the work we are called to do. We should be careful not to dismiss or disqualify anyone who has seen dark days, because they can be used mightily with the gifts they’ve been given.
And truthfully, we are all Lazarus. Each of us was dead in sin, and now we are alive and set free through Jesus’ sacrifice. For all who have received salvation, there is good news for us that we are no longer bound to who we once were, and that there’s no need to compare sins to try to relieve ourselves of our shame. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us so that we may have victory and to be set free. Rejoice and be glad that can love deeply because you ARE loved deeply.