Corona Devo 196

I think that most of us have heard this story before, but when was the last time we wrote ourselves into it?  

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. ~Luke 7:36-38

Lord, we are sinful.  We are immoral.  Even on our best behavior, we fall short each day, and You see inside of our souls and know the depths of our sins, whether we admit them to ourselves and others or not.  But like this woman, let us acknowledge who we are, and approach You unashamedly in seeking Your freedom from our sin.  This woman heard he (Jesus) was eating there, and she went!  Let us go to find you today, Lord!

She came vulnerable and raw.  Admitting her flaws (even weeping), and we do the same today, Lord.  We want to be better and do better, and only You can grant freedom from our sin and move our hearts and actions to get there.

This woman brought an expensive and precious gift to Jesus.  Today, we too offer You a priceless and precious gift: our Time.  We sit at Your feet, Lord, and lay our shortcomings before You, and in the silence we present one of our most valued-commodities: Time.  

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” ~Luke 7:39

We have all sinned, and this truth makes it easy for me to see my face on the woman with the alabaster jar.  But perhaps God is also speaking into our hearts with the Pharisee's attitude and reaction.  Do we ever view ourselves as holier, or less-sinful than others?  Do we judge another's actions without walking in their shoes?  Of course we do.  Jesus reminds us: Don't.  The Pharisee's holier-than-thou attitude completely separated him from the beauty and miracle that Jesus was performing in the woman's life.  Our hypocrisy towards others will do the same.  

40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” ~Luke 7:40-48

Jesus is teaching a serious lesson to the Pharisee.  And perhaps to us as well--we can get so caught up in our pride and self-perception that we perceive we are more spiritual/religious/holy than others.  

Nothing could be further from God's truth.  In fact, as Jesus often does, He turns the tables on our thinking by saying that the more we realize how filthy we are compared to God's righteousness and purity, the more we appreciate His forgiveness and revel in it.

Jesus is on to something here, and putting ourselves in the woman's sandals helps us to gain a sense of how relieving God's forgiveness can be.  Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Put your name in here: Then Jesus said to _____, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48).  Just sit in that statement for a moment.  Let it soak into your soul like a warm bubble bath.  Comforting and washing away past and present sin.  You may have asked Jesus into your heart years ago, but relive His fresh forgiveness today, now.  And if this washing of sin and mistakes seems too good to be true: it is.  And yet Jesus offers it to us freely.  Accept His blessing over you today: Your sins are forgiven.

49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”

50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”  ~Luke 7:49-50

The Pharisees just couldn't grasp it.  And really, it is not something that anyone can understand with our minds.  God's forgiveness and benediction to move forward with His presence over our lives (go in peace) is something that we can only "understand" with our hearts and our spirits.  Why a holy God would forgive us of all we've done and welcome us to spend our earthly lives, and then all of eternity with Him doesn't make sense.  That is the mystery of God's love.  It cannot be reconciled on earthly scales.  But it can be tangibly felt in the lightened heart of a sinner.  Love can be felt in eyes that view us as whole instead of broken. 

Today--let's write ourselves into the forgiveness and freedom that Jesus proclaimed over the woman with the alabaster jar.

And if we share any prideful similarities with the Pharisees, let's write ourselves out of their traits which separated them from Jesus and His followers.

Today, Jesus says to us: Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”  ~Luke 7:50

Blessings,

Sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com