In Luke 7, we see the story of a woman who was worshiping Jesus while He was at the house of a church leader. She was so grateful for Christ that she wet His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then poured ridiculously expensive perfume on them. Naturally, this offended the owner of the home and gave Jesus a teachable moment. He asked a loaded question regarding fiscal debt: if one person owes $50, another owes $500 and they both have their debts forgiven, who is more grateful? The answer is obvious to us and was to the church leader as well.
I don't believe that Jesus was trying to say that this woman (although described as "sinful") actually owed more than the Pharisee. He was making a point about our recognition of sin and gratitude for forgiveness. She realized how far her life choices had taken her from God's plan for her, and was worshiping Jesus for the new life that He offered.
An authentic relationship with Christ involves recognizing the depth of our sin, turning away from it, and worshiping God as a response to His grace and mercy. Fooling ourselves into thinking that our debt is minimal leads to a lack of spiritual intimacy and a sense of religious entitlement that is not only inappropriate, but sinful.
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