Possibly my favorite story about Jesus is from Luke 7:36-50. Simon the Pharisee invites Jesus to an exclusive party of teachers, influences, and swag doctors of the day. To use a line from Batman Begins, the room would be full of a bunch of "sycophantic suck-ups who smile through your teeth at me." This high-brow party full of yuppies and hypocrites would certainly be uncomfortable for the average joe (or Jolene) to attend. Not only would it be uncomfortable, but worthy of harsh punishment. Think about it, would you feel comfortable crashing a party full of rich people? Now imagine you are a lady of the night...careful now. An already uncomfortable situation just got infinitely more awkward.
This prostitute comes in the room with reckless abandon. This woman doesn't care who she is; all she knows is that she is desperate to be close to Jesus. She moves through the crowd of people, some of whom are likely clients, and pours out her perfume on Jesus' feet. This perfume represents her lively hood and her income. She gives up everything to be with Jesus.
She is literally raining down tears onto his feet. Feet are a lowly place in this culture, so this would be the humblest showing of submission and disregard of culture. She goes as far as to kiss his feet; as one does to a king. She is a broken woman before the Lord.
Seeing that she has soaked his feet, she needs to dry them. She doesn't have a towel. All she can do is let down her hair and dry them. This would've been beyond scandalous. A woman letting down her hair? This act is exclusive to intimate relationships, and certainly not for public viewing! Perhaps the Pharisees even thought that Jesus was sleeping with this woman. This woman's intimacy is on full display.
Down his nose Simon looked at them. "If he only knew who that is he's touching..." Jesus probably in righteous anger says simply, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Bring it on," Simon scoffs.
Jesus tells a parable to explain that someone who is forgiven much loves much, but he who is forgiven little loves little. Does that mean that people with a darker past are capable of loving Jesus more that the B.U.I.C.K.'s? That's an issue for you to work out with Jesus yourself. Perhaps what he is saying is that Simon saw himself as righteous, and self-righteousness comes in conflict with loving God. Maybe he is saying that only the broken-hearted can love Jesus with their whole heart; only people who know they don't deserve the love of God can receive the love of God.
The next section speaks for itself:
What a slap in the face. "I'm not even going to look at you. All I can see is this woman who is desperate for my love and has showered me with the humblest gifts, while you only have me here for personal gain and publicity." Which one are you?
Jesus then tells her that her sins are forgiven because of her faith, reckless worship, and scandalous humility. Don't you want to be like that? I want that so badly!
I'm getting closer to being a daddy, and I can't help but imagine my potential daughter(s). Jesus shows this incredibly messed up woman the compassion that only an intimate father-daughter relationship could produce. I imagine Jesus lifting up her face and saying to her tear-filled and swollen eyes "I love you, daughter, and you are so beautiful to me." Imagine this woman's heart breaking immediately.
"Your sins are forgiven."
Just like that.
Jesus doesn't need our talent, our charisma, or our strength. To borrow a quote from Timothy Keller "all you need is need." Jesus loves us so deeply in spite of our countless mistakes and he shows us compassion. Let us not be like Simon, who used Jesus for his gain. Let us be like the unnamed woman who risked it all to be intimate with Christ.
This prostitute comes in the room with reckless abandon. This woman doesn't care who she is; all she knows is that she is desperate to be close to Jesus. She moves through the crowd of people, some of whom are likely clients, and pours out her perfume on Jesus' feet. This perfume represents her lively hood and her income. She gives up everything to be with Jesus.
She is literally raining down tears onto his feet. Feet are a lowly place in this culture, so this would be the humblest showing of submission and disregard of culture. She goes as far as to kiss his feet; as one does to a king. She is a broken woman before the Lord.
Seeing that she has soaked his feet, she needs to dry them. She doesn't have a towel. All she can do is let down her hair and dry them. This would've been beyond scandalous. A woman letting down her hair? This act is exclusive to intimate relationships, and certainly not for public viewing! Perhaps the Pharisees even thought that Jesus was sleeping with this woman. This woman's intimacy is on full display.
Down his nose Simon looked at them. "If he only knew who that is he's touching..." Jesus probably in righteous anger says simply, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Bring it on," Simon scoffs.
Jesus tells a parable to explain that someone who is forgiven much loves much, but he who is forgiven little loves little. Does that mean that people with a darker past are capable of loving Jesus more that the B.U.I.C.K.'s? That's an issue for you to work out with Jesus yourself. Perhaps what he is saying is that Simon saw himself as righteous, and self-righteousness comes in conflict with loving God. Maybe he is saying that only the broken-hearted can love Jesus with their whole heart; only people who know they don't deserve the love of God can receive the love of God.
The next section speaks for itself:
44 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.
What a slap in the face. "I'm not even going to look at you. All I can see is this woman who is desperate for my love and has showered me with the humblest gifts, while you only have me here for personal gain and publicity." Which one are you?
Jesus then tells her that her sins are forgiven because of her faith, reckless worship, and scandalous humility. Don't you want to be like that? I want that so badly!
I'm getting closer to being a daddy, and I can't help but imagine my potential daughter(s). Jesus shows this incredibly messed up woman the compassion that only an intimate father-daughter relationship could produce. I imagine Jesus lifting up her face and saying to her tear-filled and swollen eyes "I love you, daughter, and you are so beautiful to me." Imagine this woman's heart breaking immediately.
"Your sins are forgiven."
Just like that.
Jesus doesn't need our talent, our charisma, or our strength. To borrow a quote from Timothy Keller "all you need is need." Jesus loves us so deeply in spite of our countless mistakes and he shows us compassion. Let us not be like Simon, who used Jesus for his gain. Let us be like the unnamed woman who risked it all to be intimate with Christ.
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