Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Luke 7:47 (NIV)
The Debt Already Dropped
The first bus out of the east side leaves at ten past six, and on the third Thursday of the month Ada is on it with an envelope in her coat pocket.
She rides an hour and forty minutes each way to put money on her son’s books at the county facility, and she’s gone every month for six years. People who love her have told her what they think of that, more than once, and kindly, and she goes.
Simon the Pharisee had Jesus to dinner, and a woman known in that town for how she lived came in and stood behind him, crying, and wet his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume over them. Simon kept his objection to himself: if this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. So Jesus told him about two men who owed a moneylender, one of them ten times what the other owed, neither able to pay, both let off, and he asked which of the two would love him more. Simon gave the obvious answer and was told he had judged right.
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. The forgiving had already happened, and her love is where Jesus points to show it. The woman standing behind him was making the sound of a debt already dropped.
But whoever has been forgiven little loves little. He said that at the table, to the man who owned the table.
I get embarrassed when people are generous where everyone can see it, and I’ve never been able to make that say anything good about me.
You can sit across from someone all evening and have no idea what they were let off. Jesus told Simon what he was looking at, and left it with him.
At her stop Ada buttons the coat over the pocket and goes down the steps one at a time, holding the rail.
A Prayer to Remember
You let me off, Lord. I know the year I mean and so do you, and there was nothing in me that was ever going to pay for it. I’ve never been able to say thank you for that without my voice going, so I’m saying it this morning on an ordinary day and getting it said.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
