I am reflecting on a story that has been the source of many meditations for many people throughout the years. I was reading it the other day and something caught my eye that I want to explore. Here are the verses - Luke 7:36-48 NIV:
[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.”
What caught my eye was the progression of Jesus' statements in verses 47 and 48. He is talking to the Pharisee in verse 47, and Jesus says of the woman, "her many sins have been forgiven - as her great love has shown." This is before He actually turns to the woman and tells her that her sins are forgiven! I find that very intriguing, as Jesus has already forgiven her sins, and she apparently knows that, before He ever speaks the words directly to the woman.
As I was reading these verses the thought popped into my head that she was effectively forgiven, as soon as she encountered Him and He allowed her into His presence. Jesus was expressing the Father's will in His actions, and allowing her to embrace Him, was effectively the same as the Father saying He loved her, accepted her, and forgave her. It was in that moment, apparently, that the woman understood all this well. She experienced the love of God by the acceptance of Jesus.
I imagine the woman must have been full of trepidation as she approached Jesus. She must have had a laser-like focus on Him though, so she could ignore the stares and comments of those who knew her reputation. Something had caused her to find hope in Jesus, hope for forgiveness, hope for acceptance, hope that someone would love her in spite of her sin and weakness! Her heart was stirred and she was willing to risk rejection due to the hope that had arisen in her. I believe that this is due to the Father, through the Holy Spirit, stirring hope and belief in her...leading her to Jesus, where she could experience peace for her soul!
Oh, that we would learn the lesson she learned, judgment and punishment is not what is waiting for us when we come to the Lord, but rather mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love! He draws the broken hearted, leads the hopeless, loves those who think they are unlovable, and embraces and accepts all that come to Him. Let us not fear, but rather let us hope in His great love, and in the sacrifice He made to set us free. Let us come humbly to the savior of our souls, Jesus. He accepts the unacceptable, because He became one Himself, to set us all free!
Amen!
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