Luke 7:50 “Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
These expressions of forgiveness and deliverance form Christ are among the most precious words of Scripture. All who have tasted of the heavenly gift can feel this verse is spoken to them. And the significance of it will stand the test of scrutiny. We may question every nuance for it is in these words that we find our only hope.
Why did He say what He said? Why did He say it that way? How could He justify making such a statement? What does it fully signify? Indeed, limitless is the number of inquiries we might make, but our awe and wonder in no way diminishes as we think of them. On the contrary we find both strengthened. And why? Because we at once begin to see the answers ever so slightly and we are overwhelmed. It is quite a fact that faith will grow in the heart of the questioner who, truly seeking an honest answer, begins to see the answer and is immediately influenced by it. There are many who will ask questions, but often this is done with a pre-conceived notion, or a pre-accepted axiom. Honest inquiry reveals nothing less than the treasure of the ages.
Why tell this woman, full of sin as she was, that she was ‘saved’? Why hold out such hope to her? Well, indeed, would there be any actual hope in speaking of Christ at all without it? If He came not to offer ‘salvation’, something altogether unique, then He had (and would even now have) less claim on the world than Caesar. Without a salvation to offer, Jesus is one of many other great persons of history which pass off the scene with sound and fury, signifying nothing. He could woo hearts, and bring them even to insanity, but to win them and bring them to transport He would have no power.
And why her ‘faith’? Was it indeed not He Who saved her, and He Who saves all? Ah but faith is of God. Even that dear gift was grown out of the infertile ground of a creation that had shunned its Creator. By it Abram was made Abraham, and the rest is, as they say, history. It is by the production of faith inside of humanity that God has worked. To speak of faith saving rather than any other thing is to bring greater glory to the Christ, not less. For faith itself was grown in humans solely for the distinct purpose of spending it upon Jesus. Though it often finds so much else as its object, faith is in its very existence designed for salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Can we suppose that faith alone might save? But, really think, could anything more than faith be given credit? If you put anything with it you count out Christ, for now you must mix Him and some other word or work on the part of the delivered person. Yes works may provide irrefutable evidence of faith, as James so eloquently points out in his epistle. But, faith is itself intended to be the only means to the end of being perfected by the sacrifice of the Son. The Father has chosen it that we humans may not say ‘Aha!’ and claim to have saved ourselves. No, we must throw up our hands and say it is all of faith with the right object, the Precious Son.
The significance of the first part is explained by the last. He says to the woman ‘go in peace’. Alas, has man ever had peace? Is peace a real thing? Can anyone claim to know or understand peace? Or do we know just a relative calm or lull in chaos that makes us say ‘peace, peace’ when indeed there is none? Peace with God, with the Father by way of the Son in faith, that is what is in view. Jesus could say to this woman what we long to say to everyone. We want to say, ‘It will be ok.’ But what we mean is that there is peace to be had. But Jesus could actually tell her this was possible. By Him we may actually experience what may genuinely be called peace!
Heavenly Father, peace, that is the thing, peace! How can I ever get over it? To know peace with You, that is so wonderful! God grant us peace, and make us peacemakers! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.