Luke 7: 36-50 36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is- that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “ Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
I love this beautiful story! This woman held nothing back. She lived her faith out, by serving her Savior! The love that she had for Jesus was evident in her actions. He had forgiven her and that meant everything to her! She was free from her past sins! She gave her very best to Jesus. And she gave everything she had to be there at that moment to wash Jesus’s feet with her tears and hair. Then she poured expensive perfume on him to honor him. She was “Shamelessly Bold!”
Simon, The Pharisee, on the other hand, invited Jesus to his home, but his behavior showed his lack of faith in Jesus. He was arrogant, judgmental & rude to Jesus. He knew the scriptures well, but he did not believe this simple man sitting at his table was the Son of God. He was like the older son in the prodigal son parable, who stayed and obeyed his father, but held a grudge.
The woman is like the prodigal son who went astray and got caught up in the worldly ways, but then when Jesus forgave her sins, she turned away from her former lifestyle and followed after Jesus!
So, who do you identify with in this story? Are you like the woman? Or the Pharisee? Or both?
I believe that I am more like the woman. I love the Lord with all my heart and I am faithful in reading the Bible and praying daily and I try to live by the leading of the Holy Spirit. But am I always giving my best? Am I loving others as much as I love Jesus? This is a question we each need to ask ourselves as we evaluate ourselves each day.
In my own strength and abilities, I am more like the Pharisee, wanting to be perfect in checking all the boxes on my spiritual to do list. Knowing the truth is easy, but and living it out daily is the true test of who we are in Christ.
Paul remind us in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for forgiving us of our sins, and for saving us. Help us to live our faith out in our daily lives and be willing to do what ever is needed to show you and others love! Amen
PD