Luke 7:36-50
36 A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table.
37 Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
38 she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner."
40 Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.
41 "Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty.
42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly."
44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment.
47 So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."
48 He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49 The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50 But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
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The sinful woman approaches her Lord in total humility, washing his feet with her tears, and drying them with her hair. She knows she needs her Lord. She knows she can't be righteous without Him.
How many of us approach the Lord that way?
In my head I know that everything good comes from God. If I understand that conceptually, why, time and again, do I convince myself that good things come from me? So often, I'm like the Pharisee in this passage, when in reality I really NEED to be like the woman.
This is where the rubber meets the road on the whole idea of dying to self. It's pretty difficult to do, and of course impossible without God.
So this morning I wonder ... why is it so hard to learn this lesson? I mean REALLY learn it, so that I live it out every day in my life? I ask myself that question a lot, to tell the truth. The only answer I've gotten to so far is that it helps me start to see a glimpse of the totality of Christ's sacrifice.
Here I am, trying not to get mad when I perceive the most minor of offenses, getting mad at myself for getting mad, and whining about how difficult it is to reconcile all that. And there Christ is, the most powerful force in the universe, the Lord of earth and sky, of wind and rain, submitting Himself in total humility.
For me.
