Remember Mary

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”  Luke 7:47

We all know the story of Mary Magdalene, but I wonder if we truly understand the depth of it. So often we focus on how Jesus took her out of the pit of sin and restored her. This is definitely an important aspect of the story, but it is not all. When I read this verse in Luke, I am overwhelmed by the realization that the story of Mary encompasses so much more than we often realize. The reason Mary loved so much was because she REALIZED how sinful she was and was  therefore able to fully appreciate the forgiveness Jesus offered her. The Pharisees, Simon and the disciples were no better than Mary, but they did not realize their need of Him the way she did. I think that we too, often don't realize just how unworthy and sinful we are, and that without the pardoning grace of Christ we would be wholly lost. Too often we compare ourselves with "vile" sinners, and somehow convince ourselves that we are not that bad. There is however no sin that is "not that bad". Jesus would have had to die even for the most petty sins in order to save us. Oh that we could grasp how deep the Savior's love is for us. While we should not dwell on our sins, we do need to get a sense of our own unworthyness because only then can we truly appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus. When we truly grasp the magnitude of His love, we will desire to reciprocate that love, and we will willingly pour out our lives as a sweet perfume for our Savior. We have been forgiven so much! Oh that we may realize this, and love Christ with the love He deserves!