Bible Verse: Luke 7:37, 38
“When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster box of perfume and 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.”
This is an unprecedented scene. A woman of the streets breaks into a churchman’s house, interrupts a meal to weep at the feet of Jesus. Why did she do this? Because she had presumably met him earlier and some exchange had taken place between them where she had found forgiveness and acceptance. In this moment she is expressing the forgiveness of God and the blessing of being cleansed from sin, publicly, at the dinner given in Jesus’ honour, and right inside the Pharisee’s house, where she would not normally dare to go.
Who can imagine what kind of life this woman was subjected to? In our own day we have much information about the seedy side of life and the terrible things that happen on our streets. We are constantly subjected to information about prostitution and human trafficking.
What was it like in those days for such a person for whom there would be few laws to protect them?
It may well have been that at some point of despair and with self-degradation she met Jesus. Here she is now at this dinner filled with overwhelming gratitude.
Her tears show her thankfulness, her hair is used as a towel and her perfume put on his feet. Oblivious to the shock she was causing and maybe the derision of others, her life now belonged to Christ.
Why is it that so many people who say they are believing Christians seem so apathetic today, compared with the devotion of this weeping woman? It may well be that we have lost the sense of what it means to be a sinner, lost, degraded and under judgement. The man or woman whose eyes are opened to the seriousness of their spiritual condition and their utter hopelessness with judgement to come, is filled with great relief to hear of a Redeemer, a Saviour who has come to save and forgive.
The rest of life is lived in gratitude.
If you do not feel that truth, there may be something seriously wrong with your spiritual life.
Prayer:- Dear Lord, thank you for your great salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Give me the ability to live daily with gratitude to you and an awareness of how profound the good news really is. Amen