Once there was a woman named Maria. She had made many mistakes in her life and felt as though she was beyond redemption. One day, while walking through the city, she heard about a man named Jesus who was performing miracles and healing people. Maria was intrigued and decided to attend one of his gatherings.
When Maria arrived, she saw Jesus speaking to a group of people. She was too afraid to approach him directly, so she stood at a distance and watched as he healed a man who had been paralyzed. Maria was amazed by what she saw and felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for her to be saved.
As the crowd began to disperse, Maria saw Jesus walking towards her. She was terrified and tried to run away, but Jesus caught up to her and gently asked her what was troubling her. Maria broke down in tears and confessed all of her sins to him.
Jesus listened patiently and then told Maria that her sins were forgiven. Maria was overwhelmed with gratitude and fell to her knees, thanking him. She knew in that moment that she had found her salvation.
From that day forward, Maria dedicated her life to following Jesus. She traveled with him and his disciples, spreading the good news of his teachings and performing acts of kindness wherever she could. Maria knew that she still wasn’t perfect, but she had faith in Jesus and believed that he had the power to save her from her sins.
One day, as Jesus and his followers were traveling through a city, they were approached by a group of religious leaders. The leaders were skeptical of Jesus and his teachings and questioned why he would associate with sinners like Maria.
Jesus responded with a parable about two debtors, one who owed a small amount and one who owed a large amount. He asked the leaders which debtor they thought would be more grateful if their debts were forgiven. When they replied that the debtor who owed more would be more grateful, Jesus told them that Maria had shown more faith than any of them.
He said, "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:47)
Maria’s faith had saved her, and Jesus recognized that she had shown more love and devotion than many others who had been forgiven less. Maria knew that she wasn’t perfect, but she trusted in Jesus and knew that he had the power to save her from her sins.