TEXT: St. Luke 7:36—8:3, Pentecost III 2007
THEME: Who is this who forgives sins?
In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Who is this Man? How dare He forgive sins! Who does He think He is?” So say the dinner guests of Simon the Pharisee. For the unthinkable has happened; a woman of the city, who was a sinner (tradition tells us that this is Mary Magdalene), has interrupted the grand feast and has dared to touch the Guest of honor. Does He act in revulsion? Does He cast her out to the approval of His host and the other guests? No. He knows full well who is touching Him and so He simply looks at her and says, “Your sins are forgiven.” “Clearly,” they think, “He is not a prophet; for only God can forgive sins and He certainly would never forgive the sins of this woman!” And so, penitent St. Mary leaves the feast in peace, her many sins forgiven; yet, Simon remains condemned, neither acknowledging his sin nor repenting of it, and not receiving forgiveness from his Guest.
Often we are tempted to act as Simon. We are righteous and of course God will forgive our sins, but He will most certainly not forgive this sin or that sin or whatever other sin you may imagine is unforgivable. Are we that much better than anyone else; are we not just as corrupt and lost as everyone else? Yet, we think and act as though the One who ordained the Law cannot forgive those who transgress the Law; due to our pride, we expect God to act as we would have Him act. And so, like Simon, we are not penitent and so we remain secure in our sin, receiving no forgiveness, and going away condemned. Or, we often act as though we must make excuses for God in a perverse game of “Simon-says.” How often are you put on the defensive because God does not act in the way which countless men think He should or because He acts in ways which displease them? How often must you answer to others because God is so unbending, so unaccommodating on matters such as abortion, homosexuality, divorce, fornication, and so on? When those times come, do you stand firm in the Word of Truth? Or do you quickly mumble, “Well, it’s not exactly like that…” just to avoid the argument? Follow not the example of Simon; repent.
Follow,
instead, the example of St. Mary Magdalene.
For as numerous as her sins were, she thought nothing of her own works,
filthy rags that they are; nor did she care for the opinions of mindless men,
secure in their sins and offering only words of damnation. Instead, she seeks out the Lord Jesus Christ
and from Him, and Him only, does she
seek forgiveness. This is the highest
worship of Christ, to seek forgiveness in Him.
True worship does not mean to hear pep speeches, or to sing repetitious
and mindless little ditties, or to sway back and forth, arms outstretched, like
an emotional fool. No. True worship seeks forgiveness in the wounds
of Christ, and in Christ alone; for who is He to forgive sins? He is the Lord
God of heaven and earth who has come in the flesh of man. It is He who ordained the Law. It is He who sent Nathan the prophet to call
David to repentance and then forgave his sin.
And it is He who, in order to fulfill His own demands of the Law, took
on flesh and became Man to become a curse for us by hanging upon the cross,
beaten, bloody, and dying. It is He who
by His death destroyed death, and by His rising again has opened to us the
To us who have absolutely nothing to offer, Christ has given everything. To us, who act as Simon, remaining secure in our sins, or as David, trying to hide our sins, He sends men to call us to repentance. To those who repent, these men proclaim, with authority from Christ Himself, forgiveness and peace with God; but to those who do not repent, their sins are bound, and they remain separated from fellowship with God in Christ and are condemned. Yet to us who can offer Him nothing, Christ has poured water with His Word over our whole being, He has given us the kiss of peace, and He has anointed us with His holy Name. Now we are His; we belong to Him. For through this Holy Bath, we have been crucified and raised with Him and He now lives in us; our great debt has been forgiven.
So too does Jesus continue to receive and eat with sinners; He receives and eats with us who also are filthy and unclean sinners. He graciously bids us to come to His Table where He is both Host and Feast. He bids us to come and feast on the Flesh and Blood of God Himself, His very own Flesh and Blood, which was crucified and resurrected for our salvation. He bids and we come in faith and repentance and our Lord Jesus bestows unto us His gifts of forgiveness and fellowship. In this Meal, He comes to us, uniting Himself with us, and bringing His peace. That peace that He brings is the forgiveness of all of our sins. At His Table, He speaks to us as He spoke to David and to Magdalene long before us: “Your sins are forgiven.” Having received His Flesh and Blood, we depart in peace, peace which only Christ can bestow: the forgiveness of sins by His death and resurrection.
Who is this who forgives sins? He is the Creator of all that exists, the Lord God of heaven and earth; He is the Lord Jesus Christ and He has the authority to forgive what is owed to Him. Trust not in your own works nor in the opinions and thoughts of men. Cling to Christ; find shelter in His wounds. He is the One who forgives for He is the One who loves and cherishes you. Though we have nothing to offer, He forgives our great debt, and He continues to give as He gives to us every precious treasure which He has won by His death and resurrection. Who is this who forgives sins? He is the Lord Jesus who loves us and has gone to the cross for us. In Him, the Lord has put away your sin; your sins are forgiven, you shall not die. Go in peace.
In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.