Today's Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 7 verses 36 through 48:
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus* to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39Now 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 kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ 40Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ 41‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii,* and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ 43Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus* said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ 44Then turning towards 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 bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ 48Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’
Anytime there is unkindness, or hostile accusation, or cruelty there is also a soul whose own sins have not been forgiven. Psychologists call this projection. It is a defense mechanism meant to divert one person's inner-conflicts and guilt onto another.
You can bet that when a narcist accuses someone else of something it is really a confession. And how many preachers have railed against drinking, drugs, gays, etc. only to be outed themselves for some secret life they've been living?
Jesus said, "The one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."
Pray for these people. Their souls are tortured, and one day their sins will find them out. Hopefully that will be a day of grace and freedom.
And in grace, let us love large even as we've been largely loved; and let us be ready to forgive all even as for us all has been forgiven.
And all has been forgiven.
Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.
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