July 3, 2018

How Deep Is Your Faith?

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” – Luke 7:47

It’s an odd assortment of people in the class. There are those who have much and those who have little. There are those who are young and those who older. And there are those who have overcome much and those who have overcome little. Who has the greatest faith?

Some people grow up attending church. They accept Jesus as their Savior and really never venture far from what they know. Faith is just a part of who they are. They don’t question it. They pray eloquent prayers and live the life they were told to live.

And then there are those who grew to faith in adulthood. They came kicking and screaming, making mistake after mistake, until they finally hit the bottom of the pit. There they met Jesus. They came to understand that He was their only hope for a different life, a better life. They grasped His hand and clung to it tightly. Every day is a struggle. Every day they hold tightly to a faith that is so real they can almost touch it.

Whose faith is greater? That faith which has never been challenged or the faith that has weathered a storm and found its way into a safe harbor?

It would be wonderful if no one ever had to suffer. That’s not reality. That’s not the world we live in. One of the saddest things to see is someone who has done everything right on their faith journey, fall apart when the storm hits. And it will always hit.

There is the woman who buried a son, almost lost another, and then buried her husband. She was raised in church and has lived a “good” life. She has known the desperation of deep grief. She knows the strength that comes from the promises of Jesus.

Another man built an almost perfect life with his wife. They had two beautiful children who, in turn, married and presented them with grandchildren. They worked hard. They were faithful servants of the Lord. Until she got sick.

I wasn’t sure his faith would survive. The loneliness tried to consume him. The questions were relentless. How can someone do everything right for Jesus and then suffer an unbearable loss? Jesus warned us but we didn’t think it would happen to us.

Only God knows our hearts. He knows how deep our faith truly goes. Has it been tested in the fire? It will be. Does anyone ever leave this earth without knowing deep grief, illness, brokenness?

Those who have suffered much have a grace about them. They understand loss and fear and being held closely during an overwhelming storm.

Those who have made too many mistakes to count and still found love and forgiveness from their Savior extend mercy quickly. Their hearts are open. Their hands extend to those in need. They understand how easy it is to fall onto a path you never planned to take. They understand how hard it is to get back up and try again.

The Pharisees condemned this woman who honored Jesus with expensive perfume and her tears. They couldn’t understand the depth of her gratitude. Can you?