To be near unto God - pagina 272

"WITH THEE THERE

IS FORGIVENESS, •THAT THOU MAYEST BE FEARED."

There is still another way that leads to knowledge of God. It is one that cannot be dealt with save with most delicate care. We mean the awful way that leads through the depths of sin. A

word of Jesus indicates it at once. To Simon the Pharisee he said: "To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little" (Luke 7:47). 'With this word our Lord places two persons in contrast with each other. On one side the most single

honorable citizen of Nain, Simon, his host. And on the other side a woman, who was known in the little town a? one of ill repute, a public As her sins were many, sinner, as was the case. she had been forgiven more, and consequently she loved more. The virtuous Simon, on the other hand, who had sinned less, was forgiven less, and consequently he loved less. If love for Christ is one of the richest sources, from which vital knowledge of God flows out towards us, for this woman, the way of deep sin thanks to the larger forgiveness, was the means to attain fuller knowledge of God. He who only strives after book-knowledge of God, can not understand this, and will never be able to put up with this vigorous word of Jesus. He on the other hand who knows from experience that warm, and upbuilding knowledge of God is fed and carried most effectively by love for God, accepts this word of Jesus gratefully, even though it makes him shudder. The contrast between the dark nature of sin 264

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