Luke 7:36-50 ESV
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
This just happens to be one of my favorite Bible stories. And I will share with you why it is so dear to my heart. I hate prejudice! I hate how some people are treated as though they are nothing when they are God’s children, doing what the Lord has called them to do, especially while those who are lying to the people, who are manipulating and deceiving the people, and/or who are people of prominence or are related to someone famous are treated with great honor, respect, and value. But that is life, isn’t it?
I hate it if people reject you for your past, provided it truly is your past and not your present. Christians still should not reject other Christians who are living for the Lord in the present just because they did bad things in their past. For we all did bad things in our past, truth be told, because we were all born into this world with sin natures, and so all of us have sinned and fall short of attaining God’s divine acceptance and approval in our flesh natures. Not one of us is righteous in our own merit, of our own doing, not one!
But does God divide those who are truly righteous in his sight from those who are truly sinful because sin is still their practice? Yes! He does! But the righteous are not the self-righteous but those who are righteous by the grace of God who make righteousness and godliness and obedience to the Lord their practice, in the power of God. So they are the humble who know that apart from God they are lost in their sins, and so they have come to faith in Jesus Christ because they want to serve the Lord with their lives.
And this is where I see this woman. Yes, it appears that she had led a sinful life, but now she was coming to Jesus in true humility and in true worship of him, and with genuine tears, in order to give him honor. She wasn’t fake. She wasn’t phony. Her worship of the Lord was not in pretense nor in show to look good in front of others. For certainly she knew that her actions would not be well received and that she might even be kicked out of that house, but she did what she believed was the right thing to do despite the possible consequences.
But the Pharisee, instead of seeing this woman through the eyes of God, and instead of seeing her genuine repentance and heart of faith and love for Christ, he looked down on her because of her reputation. But his judgment of her was hypocritical. And this doesn’t just apply to men looking down on others because of their sinful pasts, but this can apply to men looking down on women in general, just because they are women, or just because they are not missionaries or daughters of a famous evangelist.
Basically, in our “Christian” culture of today, those who are raised up are usually people of renown or who are missionaries to physical locations, regardless of what they are teaching the people. And they are those with Bible college or seminary degrees or they are men, and not women, and they are pastors and elders or people with high levels of education or who have money. But if you are just a woman serving the Lord, doing what he has called you to do, you may be treated as though you have no value.
But I love how Jesus treated her. He didn’t treat her like the man did. And I love how Jesus honored her for her love for him and for her worship of him and for her willingness to lay her life down on the line in order to give honor to Jesus Christ. For Jesus doesn’t see like many humans see. He doesn’t look at the outward appearance, but he looks at the heart. And this woman had a heart of worship of the Lord, and she was humble, and she was reverent, and she showed Jesus enormous love and devotion.
But I also love what Jesus said to the man in front of the woman. He honored the woman in front of the man and then he let the man know that the things he should have done to honor Jesus, but he did not do, she did. And so Jesus honored her. And so I want to encourage anyone reading this who has been dishonored of men for your genuine obedience to the Lord and to his word.
If your walk of faith in the Lord is genuine, and you are serving the Lord with your life, in truth, don’t fear what others think of you or will say about you. Just keep serving the Lord faithfully. Just keep doing what God’s Word teaches you that we must all do who are followers of Christ, even if you get rejected by pastors or elders or others who call themselves Christians because they think you are a nobody. If you are serving Jesus with your life, you are not a nobody. Our Lord honors your obedience. Be encouraged!
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
https://vimeo.com/379408296
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