Luke 7 - 4.11.24
S - Luke 7: 44 - 48
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.
O – Luke uses this chapter to contrast the Pharisees with sinners – and again the sinners come out ahead. Jesus had been invited to dinner by one of the Pharisees and was reclining at the dinner table when a woman, who was a prostitute, and not invited, walked in and over to Jesus, weeping. The custom for dinner guests was to recline at the table with their heads propped up on one elbow near the table and their feet stretched out behind them. This woman wept over Jesus’ feet and then proceeded to wipe his feet with her hair, kiss and pour perfume over them. His dinner host should have been the one to wash His feet and greet Him with a kiss, as was custom. The fact that he did not isn’t clear. Perhaps this host felt he was too good for Jesus or was giving him a subtle put-down. Whatever the case, he showed little respect, unlike the woman who gave all that she could to show love toward Jesus.
A – It never states why the woman walked in weeping, but I imagine the extreme shame and guilt she felt over her sins, and the overwhelming love she was feeling for Jesus are what caused her to shed those tears and compel her to walk into a room, that we can easily assume was very hostile toward her. I am certain the men in that room were unabashedly uninviting. Yet, she was drawn to Him and let none of that stop her. In turn, He graciously accepted the love she was pouring out on Him. He then poured HIS love out when he stated, Your sins are forgiven and Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Only those of us who recognize the depth of our sins can truly appreciate the complete forgiveness that God offers us. Once upon a time, I felt that shame and wept those tears and He took all of that from me. I never want to forget that I may no longer be THAT sinner, but I am still a sinner in need of His daily love. Do I SHOW appreciation by living a life that reflects gratitude to a loving God who saved me? Do I give back that love by going out and loving on all those who need to be loved on….the ones who really need it? Not just the ones that make me feel good to help. It is important that we get in the trenches and reach the lost, the sick and the hurting. Matthew 9:12-13… “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
P – May we go and love on the broken and not look down on anyone who isn’t yet where we are, in their walk with you, because the walk is an ever lasting journey until we get to go home with you forever. Help us to see the hurting people in front of us and love on them and show them who you are by the way we interact with them. Thank you that you called me to love you. I do love you Lord with all my heart. Let my life show that in every way possible!
Amen!
- Crystal Flory
