Luke writes: ‘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”’ (vv. 37-39 NKJV).
This scene took place in the house of Simon, a religious leader who was more concerned about ‘right and wrong’ than he was about hurting people. He may have been theologically correct, but he lacked compassion. And Jesus confronted him about it! ‘He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?”’ Simon saw her as a sinner and a loser. But not Jesus. He responded to the gift she brought and to the heart of love behind it. In determining her future potential to God’s Kingdom, He didn’t consult her sordid past or even refer to it. He saw her tears, understood her need, and shocked the religious crowd that day by saying, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ (v. 48 NKJV).
Be careful: when you’ve been in church for a while and forgotten what it’s like to be on the outside, you can become hard-hearted and fail to show the love of God to those who need it.
Luke 7:31-50, Psalm 40-42
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