A life of astonishing love is the wonderful response of lost sinners who have found true forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Often those who are most conscious of their forgiveness love God the best. Those who have been forgiven the most love the most! This truth is beautifully expressed in the incident of a woman anointing Jesus’ feet in this passage. To love Jesus much, you must come to the realisation that you are in debt to God because of your sin nature and because of the many deeds of sin that you have committed. You must also realise that there is nothing you can do to repay the debt. All the good deeds in the world added to your sins is like putting frosting over a mouldy cake. Do you love God much? Have your sins been forgiven?

Discussion Questions

1. Do a heart check. Is your relationship with Jesus more like the Pharisee or like the prostitute in the story?
2. To what extent should our love for the Lord be emotional? Are feelings important? How do they relate to faith?
3. Agree/disagree: The more we grow in Christ, the more we will see our own sinfulness? Support with Scripture.
4. Must a person be deeply convicted of sin in order to get saved? How can we help people to see their great need before God?