Multitude Monday: A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus' Feet

Luke 7:37-49 (Scripture in red italics, commentary in black.)

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 

In ancient times it was common for meals to be public. This house was probably typical of well-to-do homes in the region, built around a courtyard which forms a hollow square. In the courtyard there might be a fountain and a cool garden where the household is partaking of a meal. When an important person came to dine, spectators were likely, though they weren't welcome to interact with the diners. 

Though this event occurred at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, (another woman anointed Jesus with perfume at the end of his ministry) this sinful woman had heard about Jesus the compassionate teacher, who dared to spend time with sinners and publicans. She came hoping to anoint his feet with perfume, despite knowing that her notorious reputation would make her unwelcome in the Pharisee's house. Her faith was great, making her bold, knowing that Jesus himself would not reject her, even if the other guests did.

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.

She did not come intending to cry, but only to anoint Jesus' clean feet. The Heavenly Father drew her (John 6:44) to this place and as she sat before Jesus, the burden of her sinful life overwhelmed her. She began weeping.

John 6:44

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

A guest's feet would customarily be washed by a servant upon arrival and their head anointed with olive oil. Neither of these things were done for Jesus at this house, so as the woman's tears fell, the dirt on Jesus' feet ran and she wiped the dirt away with her hair. Remember that letting her hair down was uncustomary to say the least--a cause of shame even.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Simon had not invited Jesus to dinner to trap him, but merely to get to know him and understand him better. He hadn't known what to make of Jesus and his ministry, previously.

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

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.You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Just like in our story last week of the Ten Lepers, we find that our gratitude reveals our faith. This woman's faith that Jesus would receive her and have compassion on her, and her boldness in appearing before those who she knew would regard her with disdain, and her tears of gratitude at Jesus' grace and compassion, reveal her great love of the Savior. He who has been forgiven much, loves much.

Only one character leaves with salvation, as we saw with the Ten Lepers story. Not Simon or his other supper guests, not the nine lepers who failed to come back and thank Jesus. The leper who knelt down to lavishly thank Jesus, and this sinful woman whose thankful tears washed Jesus feet, were saved. 

They weren't saved as a result of their works. Rather, their works, their love, revealed their faith, and their faith justified them. Just as Abraham's faith justified him, and our faith in Jesus' blood justifies, saves, us.

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven...go in peace.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

The woman in this story was unnamed, but presumed to be a great sinner, such as a prostitute. Whenever a character in the Bible is unnamed, the character represents many people. This sinful woman? She is you. She is I. 

James 2:10
Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

It doesn't matter if you were saved at the age of 5, or at the age of 31, or at the age of 70. You have sinned much, like this woman. We mustn't lose sight of that. We mustn't let our tears of gratitude dry up. 

This is especially difficult if you were saved young and never had opportunity to pursue a sinful lifestyle. You may represent Simon if you feel superior to others in this regard. But think of the lifestyle from which you were saved! This not of yourself, but the Grace of God. You would have pursued sin, had it not been for His grace...had it not been for the Father calling you to Himself.

You and I, we can't wash Jesus' feet with our tears of gratitude. Not yet. 

But what can we do now, to show our gratitude? Can we make it a priority to disciple our children every day? Can we stay in the Word and daily be reminded of our debt...and of our great love for Him? Can we commune with the Holy Spirit every day through prayer, praises, and giving thanks?

Thanks-living. This beautiful story is the most profound New Testament example of thanks-living. For this woman, she forgot all propriety and boldly worshiped her Jesus. She lived her gratitude.

Jesus challenges us to live against culture. To boldly give thanks, to boldly worship, to boldly obey, to boldly be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hungry, hurting world. Answer the challenge. 

Let us remember this woman, whose gratitude and love pleased Jesus exceedingly. 

Prayer Time: Dear Father, thank you for drawing me to yourself, for saving me from my sins. May I worship you with the same boldness this story illustrates. May we all feel the magnitude of your compassion, your grace, your love...and respond accordingly. Let us not be distracted by this world, but really live our gratitude. Keep the arrogance of Simon out of our hearts, Father. Let us walk humbly, act justly, love mercy.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen

Giving thanks today:

~ Husband's hugs and his gentle forgiveness of hormonal mood sins
~ Peter's ready forgiveness
~ Children's prayers
~ Paul's work ethic and diligent piano practice
~ Mary's generous hugs and love
~ Holy Spirit reminders
~ Family dinners
~ Wild grace
~ The Father calling me those 15 years ago
~ daily grace raining down 
~ The Word
~ Prayer partners

What are you thankful for today, my friend?

Giving thanks with Ann today.

A Desperate Prayer

A friend hurts and I've prayed. My prayer partners, they've prayed. The hurt goes so deep and things look so hopeless and the peace of God in her agnostic heart, it isn't showing up.

"Show up, Lord! Show up for my friend, knock on the door of her heart and be large...so large you can't be mistaken as anything but the Almighty God."  I shout it in my mind as I hear how discouraged she is, how maybe she should get some antidepressant.

And my day rolls on and I hurt too. I can't believe God isn't showing up. One of the biggest prayers of my life...and no end to the pain yet. God, birth one of your wine-from-water miracles. Let it be now.

I hang clothes and wash dishes and dictate sentences and give out M&M's for proper punctuation. I help with kindergarten journal sentences. I produce sandwiches and fake smiles and all the while, I wonder what He has planned? How long will the intensity last and will it get any worse?

All the Scriptures I know, they are for Believers. How do I comfort a non-Believer when she wants to tune out the slightest of spiritual sentiment? How do I penetrate her heart at all?

And the water bill and the insurance bill, they are late and the math doesn't work out and the kids want to go to the township carnival and I think how, without God, it would all break me. Daily life is so hard but I don't break. I wake up and He carries me and He helps me count blessings. He makes my children hug me at just the right times. He offers grace and love and truth, all for the taking.

And I take it. I open my arms wide and I take the Grace and I cherish the wonder of it.

And my heart aches that my friend, she doesn't have this. She doesn't know that God will provide and His math is a foreign kind...an eternal kind. She doesn't know that grace will rain like it's forever spring, and your bra wire could be sticking into you the bra is so old, but it won't matter. Because in Him, the temporal remains temporal.

She doesn't know any of this. And please God, tell her? Penetrate her heart with Truth as only you can. Show her that life can be hard, really hard, but in You, there is Peace. 

Two of my prayer partners, they are sure You are working. Their confidence astounds me and maybe I'm too close to it? Give me the same confidence, Lord? Make me so exude this confidence that my belief is contagious?

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Multitude Monday: Ten Lepers

 

Luke 17:11-13 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

Lepers were outcasts, not allowed to approach others because they were considered unclean. Thus in this passage the lepers called out in a loud voice from a distance. "Have pity on us (mercy)." Their faith was great, for they believed that even from a distance, Jesus could clean them.

Their very condition was thought to be a result of sin--a sign of displeasure from God. When people got close to them the lepers were required to call out and warn of their unclean condition. Moreover, they had to live outside the city in leper camps. Because leprosy was thought to be a mark of sin--and Jesus came to save sinners--Jesus took the time to heal all the lepers he encountered.

Luke 17:14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

Their healing then was not direct, but a reward for their faith and obedience. If they refused to go to the priests until after they were healed, or if they refused to go at all, they wouldn't have experienced this miraculous cleansing. The Scripture says, "and as they went, they were cleansed."

They all noticed the miraculous change in their condition, and nine of them went directly to the priests to be pronounced clean and be on their way to a changed life. Think of it. They were considered not only unclean, but offensive to God. Think of how transforming their healing was. They could live a whole new life--as though they'd passed from darkness to light in an instant.

Luke 17:15-16 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

At first glance this passage appears to be a simple healing passage. But other miracles emphasize the healing itself, rather than the reaction to it.  This passage is included in the Bible, and Jesus, in fact, went this way so as to encounter a Samaritan, to make this lesson all the more notable. God wants us to pay attention here. Jesus is passing between Samaria and Galilee, moving east to west, near where Samaritans would reside. Samaritans not being Jews, they wouldn't be expected to have faith in a Jewish healer, much less to give thanks in such a lavish way.

Luke 17:17-19 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Of the ten lepers, only the Samaritan is rewarded with: "Your faith has made you well." His gratitude revealed his faith. He was not only healed of leprosy, but gained salvation as well.

Let's look at the numbers here. Jesus is saying that 90% of us fail to praise God. He's also saying that the least likely to give thanks and praise, are the very ones who do. Is it the poor and needy who remember...who rely on God for everything and intrinsically understand from Whom all things come? But those doing well on Wall Street or Main Street, their tendency is not only to forget their thank yous, but also to regard their success as self-made. 

What comes to mind is this then: What is a true blessing? Is it a fine job, a fancy home, well-dressed children in private schools, the latest gadgets and money in a savings account? Is it excellent health and money for the best gyms and organic foods? Or is blessing that which continually draws us close to God--cements us to Him, even?

We are all Lepers before God. Our need is great. And Jesus' blood and suffering? It gave us a whole new life...as though we passed from darkness to light in an instant. Jesus died, the curtain tore, the earth shook--and suddenly, we are allowed in the presence of God. We are acceptable, made clean by the blood of Jesus...receivers of the New Covenant. 

Wow! Just wow. Let us not be one of the 90% who fail to understand the magnitude of the cross...the magnitude of our healing. 

Instead, let us be like this Samaritan leper, and like King David, who were both lavish in their praise and thanksgiving:

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.

Giving thanks today:

~ For God's deliverance (Ps 35:18)

~ That He is loving and faithful (Ps 52:9; 107:8)

~ That he hears my cry (Ps 118:21)

~ For other believers and for the testimony of their faith (Rom 1:8)

~ For the gift of salvation that enables me to avoid sin (Rom 6:17)

~ For delivering me from my tendency to sin (Rom 7:25)

~ For the spiritual gift of being able to address God (1 Cor 14:18)

~ For resurrection hope (1 Cor 15:57)

~ For testimony, deliverance and victory in the midst of persecution (2 Cor 2:14)

~ For other believers (Phil 1:3; Col 1:3; 2 Tim 1:3; Philem 4)

~ For those who respond to God's Word (1 Thess 2:13)

~ For being able to serve others for God (1 Tim 1:12) 

~ For God's attributes (Rev 4:9).

~ For IVP New Testament Commentary, for the reference verses above

~ My Peter suffered a scary bicycle accident at an abandoned tennis court (ran into a taut rope at good speed and fell backwards off his bike). I'm repeatedly dressing several abrasions and his abdomen is quite sore, but he had no internal injuries and he was wearing his helmet!

~ Though it looks like Beth will need the cancer drug methotrexate to stop the damage in her JRA-ravaged joints (swelling level is unacceptable on just the naproxen), I know God will be with us every moment of the ordeal. 

~ mashed sweet potatoes

~ homemade pumpkin bread

~ decadent fudge tracks ice cream (the perfect thing when you're 10 years old and sore and stiff from a bike accident--an accident in which you failed to see a taut rope until it was too late because you wouldn't listen to Mommy about wearing the glasses you need for distance.)

~ God continually reinforces to Peter that things won't go well for him if he doesn't obey his parents in the Lord. These lessons are far less painful now than they will be as an adult, when the stakes are higher and he must obey God to stay out of trouble, not his parents. 

Now, giving thanks for the "blessings" that keep me cemented to God:

~ chronic migraines

~ two in the home with ADHD

~ one with a chronic disease

~ being low income

~ few Christian relatives

~ no respite from work, other than my worship and my writing, which certainly save me and bring me joy, along with that handsome, sweet husband and my handful of sweet, rambunctious blessings.

Friends, what are you thankful for today?

Linking with Ann today and other thankful ladies.

Saturday Devotions: Your Legacy

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How does your house look this very second? Be honest, now. Does everyone have clean underwear and socks in their drawers and a clean towel for bathing tonight? Is dinner planned and you have meat thawing?

Now I have an important question for you. Your answer to this one reveals more about you than whether your children dig their socks out of a huge pile of clean clothes, or retrieve them from a drawer.

Have you opened your Bible since last Sunday's church service?

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Paul’s Charge to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. source

Friend, I know the draw of a clean, orderly house...the draw of free time and a good book. The constant pressures of motherhood overwhelm the best of us.

But think of your last day on this earth. You, at your deathbed, surrounded by your loved ones. It could be next year or after your eightieth birthday. We never know. At that point it's too late to alter your legacy--to reshape it to leave a more pleasing taste in their mouths. Sure, you can apologize for this or that transgression, but the habits and values your lifestyle highlighted, they will shape your children and their children--they will define your legacy--forever.

Make a list of your habits and values. Do your habits line up with your values? If not, what kind of legacy are you forging? One that will give you peace on your deathbed?

The Lord can redeem so much. He makes beauty from ashes. But once you've reached your deathbed, he can't alter your legacy.

Start today with daily habits that will forge a priceless legacy: daily prayer and Bible reading. They will transform you first and then each family member. For your changed heart, your gentleness and self-control, will shine so brightly everyone around you will want what you have. This isn't an ideal, but truth. The Word remakes us. If you read it daily, and pray, you will not be the same person even 30 days from now.

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The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and you will want to listen to Him. You will have the courage to live contrary to culture.

Nothing will impact you and your family's lives more than a daily chasing after God. Nothing will make you what you want to be--not a diet, an outfit, a title, a bank account balance--nothing. Your heart and soul were created to worship the One, True, Living God. Live out your true destiny.

Forsake that Bible, that prayer, and you'll worship everything but Him. Satan promises.

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Solve Our Children's Book Mystery?

Our local library is having a contest to see who can guess all the featured storybook characters. The tracings are not colored--just the basic shapes traced on black construction paper. All are very popular characters, such as Curious George, Olivia, Paddington Bear, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, The Little Engine That Could, etc.

We are really stumped on one of them. It features two characters together: one that is either a small cat or possibly a mouse with ears on top of the head, shaped more like a cat's ears than mouse ears (triangles on top of the head, close together), and another character, much taller and rounder, who has a weird, large hair-curl or other outgrowth thing sticking out the front of the head--about at forehead level I think? Can you guess which storybook these two characters might be from? Most of the books seem to be preschool or lower elementary age.

Thank you!