“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (Luke 7:47)
Those who owe us the most give us the greatest opportunity to love them as we forgive their debts. Such graciousness, and generosity of heart, produces grateful love in return. The woman who bathed the feet of Jesus with her tears was one amazed by the grace of the Savior. How? How could she be shown such love and mercy after all she had done? She expected those who represented God to want nothing to do with her. But the Son, who came in the Father’s name, was interested in restoration, not condemnation.
Would we be like Jesus, who was like the Father? Then we will not be bitter toward those who have owed us the most. Maybe it is a parent, or a child, a brother, a sister, or a spouse. The devil would pour salt on our wounds: “How could they treat you that way? They owed you so much, and they gave you so little. They cheated you. They could have enriched your life; but they left it empty of so much happiness!”
“There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?” (Luke 7:41,42)
In the end, those who love us the most will be those we have forgiven the most.