Jesus and the Sinful

Jesus never considered anyone as too sinful to be forgiven. He welcomed even those who were despised by the rest of society.

From an Africa Study Bible application note titled “The Scent of Forgiveness”:

We all fail to live as God tells us to live. Our sins hurt others, sometimes deeply. True believers long to be forgiven, both by God and by the person we have hurt. 

In this story, a sinful woman was so desperate to find forgiveness that she dared to enter an important religious leader’s house. She was uninvited, unworthy, and unwelcome. In humility, she threw herself down before Jesus. She wept. Her tears fell on his feet, and she kissed his feet and dried the tears with her hair. As she poured expensive perfume on his feet, the scent filled the room.

Other people may or may not forgive us when we have wronged them. But when we throw ourselves down in humility at the feet of Jesus with a heart that is broken over our sins, he does not push us away. He says to us, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Reflect and discuss

The woman in this story had lived a very sinful life and had committed great evil in the sight of God. Why do you think Jesus forgave her?

Do you feel unworthy to be called God’s child? Why or why not?

If you confess your sins to Jesus, will he forgive you? What does this story teach us about God’s willingness to forgive us?

How should we respond to that forgiveness?