Our Zeal For Jesus In Direct Proportion To Our Loving Gratitude

Revelation 3,19: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.  Therefore, be zealous and repent."

Luke 7,44: "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for my feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head... v.47 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."

Some people right from the very start of their Christian walk have so much loving gratitude for our Jesus who forgives us, that all at once, they see all their sins, and repent of them. They are blessed with the inspired discernment of King David, to have all their sin ever before them, from the moment of their repentance (Psalm 51,3). 

And because much is forgiven them, all at once, they get up, full of zealous gratitude and serve the Lord. 

Others are like the church at Laodicea, after dabbling in the faith, sort of still blind, and not fully repentant, they fall back into the comfort of their material wealth.

Jesus told this group that he still loved them, but then rebuked and challenged them to repent of their lack of gratitude and missionary zeal in response to their salvation.

Simon the Pharisee is similar to the church at Laodicea (Luke 7,44ff). He has spied Jesus around and about and apparently wants to know more about his ways, and so invites him into his house (ie into his life), but then he merely sits on the fence, hoping perhaps that Jesus will serve him rather than the other way round.

Whereas, the woman who loved much pours herself, and her sins, out upon Jesus in zealous gratitude and service. 

The degree of our loving missionary zeal  (holy and fiery jealousy for Jesus and the things of Jesus) is in direct proportion to the loving gratitude that comes from giving all our sins to Jesus at every stage of our faith walk.

We give him all of them at the start of our walk, like the woman who loved much, all of them during the middle of it, when tempted to lukewarmneess as Laodicea, and all of them at the ripened age of the prophet Zechariah (John the Baptist's biological Father), tempted to disbelieve how God brings down the promises of heaven (Luke 1,18ff).    

Oh Lord Jesus, you are a consuming fire, that we faithers would  be constant and zealous and altogether grateful about your gift of salvation, and that something of your zealous love and would always shine in our walk and witness.

In the mighty NAME of Jesus I pray.

Br. Tobin  

first 8.22.12