Forgiveness

In today's Gospel, Jesus demonstrates the enormous scope of his ability to love, receive love and forgive. The sinful woman who washes his feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, kissed them tenderly and anointed them with precious ointment receives scorn and derision from the host, Simon the Pharisee, but not from Jesus.  Rather, he allows her to express her love unashamedly and find forgiveness and peace from the heart of Jesus. As Jesus chides Simon for not offering him a kiss, oil to anoint himself and  water for him to wash his feet, he explains that "her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love." (Lk 7:47). We assume that he forgives Simon too.
We find assurance in this scene that whatever sins we have committed will receive this forgiveness if we demonstrate our love.  We also find a challenge to show this kind of understanding and forgiveness to those who offend us in big or little ways.   We don't all think alike, we are sometimes unaware of how we offend others, as they are when they unconsciously offend or upset us.  Jesus calls us to have a loving, accepting, patient heart which offers forgiveness to all, even to the Simons in our lives.
Bro. Rene