Luke 7:50 – Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (NIV)

I've made many mistakes through the years, both foolish and sinful, so I often look to Jesus not just to accept and forgive me, but also to fully understand my failures and to redirect me onto the path that He hopes that I will follow. Every day, when I talk to Christ in prayer, I ask for His grace, because I know that I don't deserve it, and I never want to take such a blessing for granted. Like many people who struggle to come to terms with their guilt, I could just let go of the past and ignore it, or I could excuse it by rationalizing that I'm not as bad as other people. But I recognize how much Jesus has sacrificed in order to forgive me, so I embrace my sin and repent of it. I see myself both as forgiven and wretched — a great sinner in need of a great Saviour.

When Jesus forgave the sinful woman in the story that is told in Luke 7:36-50, I see how much of an effort it took the woman to humble herself before Jesus and be humiliated by others around Him. She recognized that Christ was the only One Who could cleanse her of the past, accept her in the present, and allow her a better future. He was the key that would unlock her from the past mistakes that imprisoned her mentally and spiritually. He was the one last opportunity that she had of being healed from her sins and restored to God's favour. So, out of gratitude for receiving His mercy and grace, she gave Him her tears and treasured perfume.

I love how Jesus compassionately responded: "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." He granted her the forgiveness that she needed, but He also added peace — the great "shalom" — to her mind, heart, body, and soul. No matter what she had done in the past, from that sacred moment, she was fully restored as a child of God's grace, which is what we all want when we seek God's mercy through Jesus.

No matter who you are or what you've done, please know this: Christ forgives because He cares. Your faith can save you, and you can know peace this day. Just ask Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about us and how we are deeply affected by guilt and sorely troubled with regret. Allow us Your forgiveness and reset us on a path to peace. In Your holy name, we humbly ask and pray. Amen.

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About the author:

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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