36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 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. 38 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.
39 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.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 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?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
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—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:36-50
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It has never occurred to me until tonight… that the woman did not look at Jesus in the face throughout the entire episode.
Yes, she was on her knees. Yes, she broke her perfume for Jesus. Yes, she wet his feet with her tears. Yes, she kissed his feet.
But yes too, in her surrender to Christ, she poured out her life in that very moment. She didn’t look because she recognised that she was unworthy - unworthy of Jesus’ attention.
Lord, I am unworthy of Your attention, Your unceasing pursuit for me. There are too many wrongs that I wish I could right. But I can’t, I’ll never do enough to rectify them.
And I wonder, where else can I turn to?
The woman gave her life to Christ. I want to pour mine out for You. In this life, I am spending all that I am, all that I have, for You.
Sobering truth, indeed.
