Who is this Forgiver? (Luke7:48,49)

Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" (Luke 7:48, 49 NASB)

This verse is easily overlooked in the midst of the story of the woman with the alabaster vial, but it has an astonishing bit of information. Jesus looked at the woman and spoke a precious gift into her life. "You are forgiven".  How amazing that must have been for the weeping woman at His feet! She had suffered enough because of her sin, and He was banishing that sin, sending it as far as the east is from the west. That is what Our Lord does with the sins of a repentant sinner, and it is a heartbreakingly beautiful gift every single time. 

Those at the table with him heard the exchange, and were, not surprisingly, taken aback. As one person turned to another, they began to ask, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" This is the amazing tidbit. They were not asking if He had the authority to forgive sin. That was apparently a foregone conclusion derived from watching the exchange between Jesus and the woman. 

How about that? One weeping, worshipping, repentant sinner kneeling at the feet of Jesus and receiving His forgiveness was such a powerful visual testimony that an entire roomful of people recognized with no uncertainty that her sins had been forgiven. They did not doubt that Jesus had forgiven her sins. They simply wondered Who He was that He was able to do it. 

This little verse should be like a knife cutting through our pride and our reserve. If one broken sinner receiving forgiveness is such a powerful tableau that a roomful of people could recognize the power of Jesus, what would He do with our repentance if we allowed Him to use it?

That question bears repeating. What would He do with my repentance if I allowed Him to use it? What would He do with your repentance? How many lives could be changed?  

Oh precious ones, may we stop hiding our brokenness and allow our Healer to touch those sin-scarred places and make them whole. May we allow Him to use our healing in such a way that all those around us cannot help but to believe.