"Then He [Jesus] said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' "
There are no more blessed words spoken to the soul, by Christ, than these. This woman's life would never be the same again. She would never have the wrath of God abiding over her again; and her love for and devotion to the Lord would always be driven--not by works--but by this stupendously-wonderful fact (that she had been forgiven).
This woman would continue to sin every day for the rest of her life on earth; but she would never look on her sins in the same way. Instead of relishing them, she would disdain them--out of love for God.
[Puritan quote of the day: "According to the measure of your faith, so will the measure of your love be." --Thomas Vincent, in, "The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ"]
