From the pulpit
At His Feet
In the Gospel of Luke, we read about a woman who came to Jesus carrying a deep sense of gratitude. She was a sinner who had repented, and the Lord had forgiven her. She did not come asking Jesus for anything. She came simply to say, "Thank You."
There was a Pharisee who had invited Jesus to his home for a meal. While Jesus was there, this woman entered carrying an alabaster flask of very expensive perfume. She stood behind Jesus at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.
She did not care about her dignity. She did not care about what people might think of her. She did not care about the cost of the perfume. Everything she had, she was willing to offer at the feet of Jesus because she understood what she had received from Him: forgiveness.
The Pharisee was offended. He thought to himself, "If this Man were a prophet, He would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
But Jesus knew what was in his heart. Jesus then told him about two people who owed money. One owed a great amount and the other a smaller amount, but neither was able to repay. The one who was owed the money forgave them both.
Jesus asked, "Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"
The Pharisee answered, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."
Jesus said to him, "You have rightly judged." (Luke 7:42–43)
Then Jesus turned to the woman and said:
"Your sins are forgiven… Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." (Luke 7:48, 50)
This woman is an extraordinary model for us.
She teaches us that when we come before God, we should not be concerned with our dignity, our appearance or what other people think of us. She humbled herself completely at the feet of Jesus.
Some traditions suggest that the perfume she brought may have represented something extremely precious to her, perhaps even something she had been saving for her marriage. Whatever its original purpose, she was willing to surrender it all because her relationship with Jesus mattered more.
Our relationship with Jesus is ultimately a matter of love.
Jesus is our Heavenly Father, and He loves to hear the voice of His children. As parents, we know the joy that comes when our children speak to us, come to us and simply want to be near us. Jesus is no different. He loves to hear the voice of His children.
And He forgives.
The freedom of forgiveness
Forgiveness is at the heart of who Jesus is. The word absolution means the releasing or forgiving of sin.
Why is forgiveness such an extraordinary gift?
Because the penalty for sin is death. Sin has a cost, and that cost cannot simply be ignored. Yet Jesus Himself paid the price for us.
Imagine someone who has stolen $100,000 standing before a judge. Can the judge simply say, "The case is dismissed. You are free"?
Not unless the debt has been paid.
But imagine that the judge himself pays the $100,000. The debt has now been satisfied, and the person can walk free.
This is what Christ has done for us. We could not pay the debt of our sin, so He paid it for us.
That is why we love Him.
And the more deeply we understand that we have been forgiven, the more deeply we will love Him.
If we do not recognise our need for forgiveness, we will never fully understand the gift that Jesus offers us. But when we are burdened by our sin, embarrassed by our failures or depressed by the things we have done, we can remember that Jesus is loving and compassionate, and that He can set us free.
The freedom of forgiveness is an amazing gift. It brings inner joy, peace and the privilege of entering into the presence of God.
That is what this woman received.
Jesus gave her something greater than anything money could buy: "Your sins are forgiven… Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
What beautiful words.
She came to Jesus carrying her sin, and she left carrying His peace.
How much do we love God?
The woman also challenges us to ask ourselves an important question:
What is the measure of our love for God?
What matters more to us: money, comfort, possessions or our relationship with God?
What is the evidence that we truly love Him?
We came into this world with nothing. Everything we have has ultimately come from His merciful hands. So how can we not love Him?
But the greatest gift we have received is not our possessions or our comfort. It is the forgiveness of our sins.
The penalty of sin is death, but Christ has taken that penalty upon Himself. He removes our sin, restores us to God and promises to remain with us forever.
Blessed are those who understand the love of God.
The woman who washed Jesus' feet understood it. She knew how much she had been forgiven, and therefore she loved much.
May we also come before Christ with the same humility and gratitude. May we never be too proud to kneel at His feet. May we recognise our need for His forgiveness, receive His peace and respond to His love with a life that loves Him in return.
Amen.
