Skip to main content

It is Personal


               She had no right to be there.  After all, this gathering was for the religious and the elite of the town and she was neither of those things.  In fact, “sinner” was the word that most people used when describing her.
                Not only was she out of place at Simon the Pharisee’s house, but she also made a spectacle of herself. First, she went to the place where Jesus was seated, fell down behind him and began crying so loudly that everyone could hear her. 
Then, unbelievably, she touched Jesus!  Women of that day did not even hold their husband’s hand in public, yet she fell on Jesus and poured expensive perfume on him! 
Lastly, she did the unthinkable!  She wiped his feet with her hair.  Jewish women never let their hair down in public!  It was customary for a woman to bind her hair up on her wedding day and only her husband would see it down again.  At the time, this was the height of immodesty (Luke 7:36-38)
As he watched these things take place, Simon, the good and righteous Bible teacher, began to think that he may have been wrong about Jesus. “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!” (verse 39).  Most scholars believe that “sinner”, as it is used here, is just a nice way of saying “prostitute”.  Obviously, Simon had no respect for this woman and he was quickly losing respect for Jesus.
It is quite a contrast.  On one side of the table, the intelligent, well thought of Bible scholar, Simon, visits with Jesus, but he is aloof and very judgmental.  On the other side of the table, an unnamed and unappreciated woman pours her heart out in thanksgiving to the point of public embarrassment.
Why do these two people react so differently?
To one, Jesus is interesting.  To the other, he is essential!
Simon thought he was good on his own and that he really did not need Jesus.  The woman knew exactly how much she needed God’s forgiveness, so Jesus’ message created a huge response in her (verses 41-50). 
It is one thing to know about Jesus. It is another thing to know Jesus himself.
Faith becomes real and effective when the gospel story becomes my story.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dark and Light

            When you look out at the world, what do you see?             Some see nothing but trouble and pain.   They point to things like poverty, crime, problems with drugs and alcohol and marriage break-ups and say that the world is full of sadness and sorrow.   Watch the news for even a half hour and you will get the idea that the world is a dark place.             Others see nothing but good.   They appreciate generous people in their community.   They think about their friends and neighbours and smile.   They marvel at the beauty of sunrises and stars at night.   To them, the world is a bright and wonderful place.             You may be surprised that the Bible supports both of these world views.   On one hand it says things like, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the
1 comment
Read more

New Article: Five Words to Improve Your Relationships

                 In the late 1800s, it was common for railway companies to plant formal gardens beside their stations.   These gardens were filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruit trees.   Sometimes they also featured a kitchen garden growing lettuce, carrots, corn, and potatoes.   Estevan’s Canadian Pacific Railway Garden was once located where Mid-City Plumbing and Heating is today.                The purpose of these gardens was to show what the land could produce.   After hours and sometimes days of riding across the featureless prairies, the railways wanted to show settlers the potential of their new home.   The gardens showed what was possible and they encouraged the settlers to transform their own land and discover its potential too.                Today’s verse acts similarly, in that it challenges us to find the potential in
Post a Comment
Read more

Forgetting What Is Behind

                   Generalizations are helpful because they show a pattern that is normally true. However, they are also dangerous because they ignore the exceptions to the rule.                  Here is my generalization:   It is a quality of the strong to be able to forget the past and move on.   The apostle Paul summarizes this idea when he states, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Too often, we trip over things that are behind us.   We remember and nurse old hurts.   We rehearse mistakes that no one else recalls.   In doing so, we pull the past into the present and allow it to dictate how we feel right now.   In these cases, we would be better off “forgett
Post a Comment
Read more