At the Feet of Jesus

 As Jesus ate  in the home of Simon, who was a Pharisee, a woman entered began to wash the feet of Jesus with her very tears. As she wept and bowed down before Jesus, she wiped his feet with her own hair.

This woman's overt display of adoration and gratitude and love and worship at the feet of Jesus Christ Simon the Pharisee found to be offensive. In his mind he could not grasp how or why Jesus would allow such a thing to happen. Simon found this lavish expression of love toward Jesus to be inappropriate and in his view made him wonder about Jesus' status as a servant of the God of Israel.

 "And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him: for she is a sinner" Lk:7:36-39

Forgiven

Jesus quickly discerns Simon's heart and asked the Pharisee a question regarding forgiveness couched in a parable. Jesus sees the real issue that is causing Simon's dissatisfaction regarding this woman's adoration of Jesus.

 "And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have somewhat to say to you. And he said, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most."  And he said to him, You have rightly judged. (40-43)

Jesus is making a point, not just for his host, but for all who frown upon unabashed adoration and focus upon Jesus and the heart that motivates such worship.

 "And he turned to the woman, and said to Simon, See you this woman? I entered into your house, you gave me no water for my feet: but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil you did not anoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Why 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."(44-48)

Jesus demonstrates that this woman's reaction is in response to who he is and what he accomplishes on her behalf, that is, she believed Jesus would soon pay the cost of humanities sins, which include, her own, and all of ours, by going to the cross and dieing for us all.

This woman knows that she is a sinner and that she needs a Savoir and she believes that Jesus is that Savoir for her and for us all.

But Simon and others around the table are taken back by this worship and Jesus' acceptance of it, they allow their own sensibilities to lead them, and begin to question if they should be found in association with Jesus. They questioned Jesus' very validity.

 "And they that sat and ate with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgives sins also?"(49)

Then Jesus, almost as if he perceives their thoughts, speaks to this woman a last word regarding the forgiveness that has been extended to her.

  "And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (50)

She is Us

This woman typifies any who see their need for a Savior and come and worship at the feet of our Lord Jesus. When we see ourselves as we all truly are , then when we come to see who Jesus is and who he is for us ,and what he has accomplished for us , then we can have no other response but to worship just as she did ,even if it met with the disapproval of the Pharisees around us. This woman's reaction should be each and all of ours.

This woman recognized her need, and she believed that Jesus was the One who could and would save her. She knew this as truth.

Simon's View

The true problem and real objections which Jesus was exposing was that his dinner host Simon, and the others guest, did not see themselves as being in need of a Savior.

They did not think of themselves as needing forgiveness, they believed that they were good enough, that is, they could not see themselves for who they are. This woman could see herself as she was.

Simon's disapproval of her adoration of Jesus was driven his own perception and notions of righteousness. Jesus was showing him that if we see ourselves for what we are and the grace extended to us then our reactions should be that of unabashed worship of Jesus.

This recognition is a blessing to us, to see the debt of sin canceled out all through the atoning work of Jesus upon the cross. This is why when we witness disapproval of the genuine worship and focus upon our Lord, you will find a form of legalistic religion in place in the person's life. It will always be the legalistic person who disproves of the adoration of Jesus, the truth is, they do not see their full need for Jesus. They may be religious but this is not the same thing as being in relationship with him.

"Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them" Rom:4:7-8

This woman's sin is covered and she knew it, she understood the magnitude of what Jesus was accomplishing, understood that there was nothing that she could do to cancel the burden of sin, but she believed that Jesus could and would do something about it so she worshiped Jesus out of loving gratitude.

No Works

 "Not of works, lest any man should boast" Eph: 2:9

Our Salvation is not due to our works, we simply cannot save ourselves, we need a Savior. We need Jesus.

There is no room in the economy of salvation that gives us place to exult ourselves and bring any vain glory about ourselves. We come to see Jesus alone as the answer to our need and when we do, we worship at Jesus' feet and give him all the glory without reservation.

Benediction: May we each and all worship at the feet of our Lord Jesus, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen

Rev.Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma.

                           "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"