I. Am. Her. Forgiven By God

Guest Editorial: Kelly Bartholomew 

“Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’” (Luke 7:48-50) 

Internationally, Women’s Day is held on March 8th every year. It is a day of commemorating the contributions and achievements of great women throughout history, as well as celebrating how far the role of women in society has come. I am so grateful for the many incredible women who have inspired me, and have blazed a trail before me. These women have enabled me to be educated, confident, and free. There is one person, however, who has done more for women than any other person in history – Jesus. He was the true initiator of the Women’s Liberation Movement. Not only did He free women from sin, but He elevated them from second-class citizens to co-heirs with Him in God’s grace. Every encounter that Jesus had with women was revolutionary, as these interactions were marked by gentleness, deep love, and respect. In lieu of this, I am excited to announce the theme our 2022 Women’s Day event, set to take place on June 5, 2022: I. Am. Her. – Forgiven By God.

The Women’s Ministry strikes again as Lihle is baptized!

As the world belittles, objectifies, and uses women, God’s heart is to lift them up and affirm them; as the world sets unrealistic and unreachable standards for women, God wants each woman to appreciate the fact that she is fearfully and wonderfully made; (Psalm 139:14) and as the world tells women that true love doesn’t exist, God wants to be our heavenly Father, and shower us His perfect and unfailing love. As a Women’s Ministry, we are delighted to celebrate God and His radical love for women. 

Our theme scripture is Luke 7:48, which says, “Jesus said to her, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus was the honoured guest of a Pharisee named Simon, who had previously been a leper but had most likely been healed by Jesus. As the evening was unfolding, a woman who was viewed as the town of Bethany’s local pariah went and poured Nard on Jesus’ feet. This very-expensive perfume was worth more than a year’s wages. (Mark 14:5) She was so grateful for Jesus’ presence in her life – His friendship, His teachings, and most importantly, Him bringing her brother Lazarus back from the dead – she had to show her gratitude. This was the best way that she knew how to do that. This small segment of scripture gives us such an incredible glimpse into the heart of Jesus. He accepted with joy the tears, the kisses, and the sacrifice of a “sinful” woman, and then reassured her that she had been set free from the burden of her sin. 

In contrast to Mary’s amazing heart, Simon the Pharisee didn’t display even an ounce of gratitude in his interaction with Jesus. If anyone should have been grateful, it should have been him. He was the one that had been cleansed of leprosy, which was such a debilitating and contagious disease that it forced those who had it out of society. Also interesting is that it was customary to greet guests with a kiss, to wash their feet when they enter into your home, and to pour a little oil on their heads to welcome them. Simon didn’t even do that. Instead, he sat in judgement towards the sinful woman. Not only did he treat her as if he was above her, but he treated Jesus as if he was above Him. How different than the heart of Mary, and how different from the heart we need to have as women. 

Congratulations to Daniel (L) and Dylan (R) for completing their university BA programs!

Jesus lifted up Mary’s heart and effort as a living example of how a forgiven woman should look: grateful, unashamed, eager, thoughtful, sacrificial, and changed! He said, “Whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:47) Therefore, the degree we feel forgiven will determine how grateful we are, how unashamed and bold we are, how eager we are, how thoughtful we are, etc… Mary held nothing back because she was forever impacted by Jesus’ forgiveness! 

The Greek word for forgiveness in this passage is aphiemi, which means “to send away, let go, or release.” Like a horse running wildly into a field after being released from the confines and restrictions of its’ stable, is a forgiven soul. They are free to love, free to trust, and free to have a genuine affection and commitment to God. Forgiveness should change us. “It teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2:12) A soul that is not in touch with what God has done, or what He can do in their life, is a soul that will never be free enough to love much. 

This is not a version of God’s grace that you will see in a Disney film. To uncover it, we must first tear through the facade that hides the shameful realities and truths of our own hearts. It is dirty work, and a difficult job. It is a truth that is hard to look at, and is almost always worse than we think. But we have to face the good, the bad, and especially the ugly if we want to experience it. We can’t expect to have a life-changing, life-altering, and life-giving freedom by just repeating religious jargon, or talking about religious concepts. Even Simon the Pharisee did that. And though healed by Jesus, he was definitely not free. 

I couldn’t be more thrilled to gather together as a group of women, who share a common passion and love for God, to celebrate the freedom that is available to us through His awesome forgiveness in our lives. We are all like Mary in that she was a sinful woman. Prayerfully, we can all say that we are like Mary in that she was a forgiven woman. Therefore, in preparation for what is sure to be a life-changing Women’s Day event, let all of us women say, “I. Am. Her. – Forgiven By God.” And to God be the glory!

 

Kelly Bartholomew