A Key Moment
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 to fully understand my failures and to re-direct me onto the path that He hopes I will follow. Every day, when I talk to Christ in prayer, I ask for His grace because I know I don’t deserve it and I never want to take such a blessing for granted. It would be so easy just to let go of the past and convince myself that I’m not as bad as other people, but it bothers me because I recognize how much Jesus has sacrificed in order to forgive me.
When Jesus forgave the woman in the story that is described 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 favor; so she gave Him her painful tears and treasured perfume in the hope of receiving mercy and grace.
I love how Jesus compassionately responds: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” He grants her the forgiveness she needs, but He also adds 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.
Today’s image is one of John’s latest lectionary drawings called “Water into Wine.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click here.