In this message we shall pay attention to a particular aspect of Christ’s earthly ministry-His teaching the truths concerning certain crucial matters.
The Gospel of Luke records Christ’s teaching regarding the gospel and salvation. In Luke 7:41-48 we have His teaching about the forgiveness of sins. The Lord Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, “A certain moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. But having nothing to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?” (vv. 41-42). Simon answered, “I suppose the one whom he graciously forgave the more,” and the Lord replied, “You judged correctly” (v. 43). Then, referring to the woman who had been wetting His feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, and anointing them with ointment, He said, “I say to you, her sins which are many have been forgiven, because she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, he loves little” (v. 47). In these verses the Lord Jesus indicates that sinners have nothing to repay their debt to God and that love to the Savior is the issue, not the cause, of the Savior’s forgiveness. The woman’s much love was a strong proof that her many sins had been forgiven.
Regarding the two debtors who were forgiven by the moneylender, the Lord asked, “Which of them therefore will love him more?” This indicates clearly that love is the issue of forgiveness. Concerning this, we need to pay attention to the word “therefore” in verse 42, a word which proves that love comes after forgiveness instead of preceding it. What, then, is the cause of the forgiveness of sins? The cause is faith (v. 50). The woman’s sins were forgiven not because of her love but because of her faith. Therefore, faith comes before forgiveness, and love follows faith.
It is very important for us to see that forgiveness comes before love. Love is not the cause of the forgiveness of sins; love is the issue, the outcome of our faith. When we believe in the Lord Jesus, our faith becomes the cause of His forgiveness of our sins. Then as a result of having our sins forgiven, we begin to love the Lord.
To a self-justified lawyer who asked what he could do to inherit eternal life, the Lord Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan (10:30-37a). In this parable we see Christ as the One who can render us full salvation; we also see our need for this salvation.
All the points of the good Samaritan’s care for the dying one portrayed, in His humanity with His divinity, Christ’s merciful, tender, and bountiful care for a sinner condemned under law. This shows to the uttermost His high standard of morality in His saving grace. “Coming to him, he bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine. And placing him on his own beast, he brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the next morning, taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever you spend in addition, when I return, I will repay you” (vv. 34-35). He bound up his wounds-healing him; he poured on his wounds oil and wine-giving him the Holy Spirit and the divine life (Matt. 9:17; John 2:9); he placed him on his own beast (donkey)-carrying him by lowly means in a lowly way (Zech. 9:9); he brought him to an inn-bringing him to the church; he took care of him-taking care of him through the church; he paid the inn for him-blessing the church for him; and whatever the inn spends he will repay at his return-whatever the church spends for him in this age will be repaid at the Savior’s coming back.
The self-justified lawyer thought that he could love another as his neighbor (v. 29), not knowing, under the blindness of self-justification, that he himself needed a neighbor, the Lord Jesus, to love him. Hence, the self-justified one was helped to know that he needed a loving neighbor (like the good Samaritan, who is a figure of the Savior) to love him, not a neighbor to be loved by him. The Savior intended to unveil to him through this story that he was condemned to death under the law, unable to take care of himself, needless to say to love others, and that the Lord Jesus was the One who would love him and render him full salvation.
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