And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head;
and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
To me this is one of the most moving stories that we have record of in the life of Jesus. For here we see love, acceptance and forgiveness.
We see the radical love of Jesus so different from the ‘religious’ people of His day and even today in our world.
Jesus was being condemned for eating and drinking with sinners. Religion was to be for the Holy! Jesus showed the love of God for the hurting, lost and for a sinful world. Always the religious hypocrite got the harsh Words from Jesus. The open sinner was welcome.
Here in this story we see a woman coming to Jesus as He sat and ate. Now read the story and I will comment.
Luke 7:33-50
“For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say,
‘He has a demon.’
“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say,
‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
“But wisdom is justified by all her children.”
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.
And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’
And Jesus answered and said to him,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he said, “Teacher, say it.’
“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
“And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’
Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.’
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
“You gave Me no kiss,
but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
“You did not anoint My head with oil,
but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many,
are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’
And He said to her,
“Your sins are forgiven.’
And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?’
Then He said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’
How can you read this story without emotion? This woman was full of it, with tears, kisses and drying the feet of Jesus with her hair and anointing His feet with fragrant oil.
In today’s big church world the security guards would have pounced on the woman and thrown her out of the meeting. Jesus used the occasion to minister the message of forgiveness and salvation.
Many stand in judgment of others in this world today, even in religious judgment. Just hear how prideful people speak of the ‘fallen men of God’ etc. Here Jesus shows that His love reaches out to the sinful and the condemned.
Jesus contrasted the response of the host of this religious house and to the intruding sinner woman. Commending her for washing His feet with her tears, wiping them with the hair of her head and anointing His feet with fragrant oil. How moving!
Yet Jesus makes this profound statement:
‘This woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in!’
This sinful woman did not give Jesus just one kiss but kept kissing His feet as the tears flowed and she covered His feet with her hair and the anointing oil. Wow!
Jesus said she had ‘loved much’ and now her sins were forgiven. Praise God.
Love covers a multitude of sins. The religious who do not consider themselves sinners can stand to judge others but the loving repentant sinner finds grace with Jesus.
She came in a sinner but left clean, saved and in the family of Jesus.
Oh the love that Jesus had for her.
Dear sinner you can come to Jesus and find life and love and forgiveness and salvation.
Just come to Jesus with your tears and fall at His feet and be made whole.
And you who have a problem in judging and condemning others might join the ‘sinners’ and find forgiveness too.
Pilgrim followera of Jesus,
Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1
