Today’s Bible reading and an excerpt
Read Luke 7:36-50
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
More thoughts for meditation
For a long time, the woman in Luke 7, was thought to be Mary Magdalene — that’s not common belief now, but the author of the Cloud of Unknowing believed it to be true. Laird uses this passage as a way to help us forgive ourselves so that we become aware of our propensity for contemplation.
“It is not uncommon to find people with a very sensitive consciences and who seem to have a certain attraction, even aptitude, for the contemplative path, but who cannot come to terms with things that have happened in the past…
“[Meister Eckhart] says that there is a kind of repentance that ‘draws us downwards into yet greater suffering, plunging us into such distress that it is as if we were already in a state of despair. And so repentance can find no way out of suffering. Nothing comes of this.’ Eckhart contrasts this kind of repentance ‘which is of God’ and says that it ‘brings spiritual joy that life the soul out of her suffering and binds her to God.’ It becomes a question of dealing with afflictive thoughts in the right way. This was the key to Mary Magdalene’s success; she was able to break the cycle of obsessive thinking.” — Into the Silent Land, p. 130.
Suggestions for action
Sometimes mistakes we made in the past, broken and unreconciled relationships, a fear of a faith crisis, pain that we’ve suffered, is our ultimate distraction and unbearable pain. Sometimes we can’t bear to forgive ourselves, and sometimes we can’t bear to forgive those who have hurt us (our friends, family, spouse, children, parents). Begin a journey of letting go of that pain today, whether you need to forgive yourself, someone else, or both , try to do it. Make a list and let go of the things as you write them down, or make it a point to work on that.