You're a good person, right? I mean, nobody's perfect, but you're not a terrible, awful person like some people, right? Don't worry, I'm sure the answer is "yes".
Speaking of others, have you ever played horseshoes? I learned not that long ago, and what a wonderful game! Horseshoes is the game of close is good enough. You're supposed to get the horseshoe around the stake, BUT if you get it even close, that's good enough too! What a wonderful game. Unfortunately the saying "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades" is more often than not true. The reality is that too often in life, close is not good enough, and according to the law, close is still infinitely far away when it comes to God.
This point can be better understood by exploring the following scripture passage: Luke 7:36-50. This passage finds Jesus attending a dinner at the invitation of a man named Simon, who was a Pharisee. Among other things, Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the law and their righteous lifestyles. Also in attendance at this meal was a woman (no name given, only described as living a "sinful life"). This woman came to the meal upon hearing Jesus would be in attendance, and almost immediately she began weeping at Jesus' feet and wiping his feet with her hair. Now as strange (and inappropriate) as this may sound to modern readers, it was even worse to those 1st century Jews in attendance! For in their culture and time, for a woman to let her hair down was an act only appropriate in the bedroom with her husband, prior to having sex. It was roughly the equivalent of a woman today taking her top off in public!
Simon, the righteous, legalistic, Pharisee comments on this inappropriate action, suggesting that if Jesus truly were a prophet he would not let this woman (widely speculated by later commentators to be a prostitute) touch him. As was his way, Jesus turned the tables on Simon. Jesus told a parable of two men forgiven debts. One was forgiven roughly two months wages, while the other was forgiven two years income. The question was then posed to Simon, which man would love the creditor more for forgiving his debt. In answer Simon grudgingly stated that the one forgiven more would love more. Jesus then points out that this woman who was a sinner had showed Jesus greater respect and hospitality than Simon the Pharisee had. For while Simon didn't greet Jesus with a kiss (like a handshake in our culture), nor did he provide water for Jesus to wash his feet, this woman washed his feet with her tears and hadn't stopped kissing them.
Jesus concludes his teaching by pointing out that those who are forgiven much (implicitly the woman), love much, while those who are only forgiven a little (implicitly Simon) only love a little. The truth is that both the person forgiven much and the one forgiven little are in fact the same. Remember God isn't like horseshoes. Close to the mark is still missing the mark, and the price paid to forgive the person who's close is the same price as the person who's way off. Jesus died for both, so that both might be forgiven and both might be reconciled to God.
So my final question to you is whether or not you're a good person, whether you have much to be forgiven of or little, are you trusting in Jesus and loving much or are you still playing horseshoes?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
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