The Sinful Woman

In Luke 7, Jesus is at a house to eat. Jesus is reclining at the table. Jesus is going to teach us a lesson. This woman. This sinful woman had evidently heard Jesus speak before. This woman. This sinful woman had obviously heard His message, seen the way He treated people like her. This woman. This sinful woman may have even seen how some of her friends had changed after being with Jesus. This woman. This sinful woman, she wanted what Jesus had.

Jesus was invited to a dinner at a house of Pharisee…and she followed Him there. He had passed by enough times that she now knew that she had to have what He what He was giving. Life.

And Jesus sat at the table-His feet stretched out behind Him or to the side and He was in conversation with the men around Him and He was eating. And this woman. This sinful woman, she knelt down and began to wash His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. She took out a bottle of perfumed oil and poured it on His feet. She gave Him all she had. No water, just tears; no towel, just her hair and she spent all that she had on the most expensive bottle of perfume and anointed Him with it. She cleaned the dirtiest part of His body with what she had.

She came to this great Man, humbly. She stepped in front of all these other people because she needed Jesus. And she was mocked and torn apart. She could have slinked away, into the shadows of despair...but Jesus wouldn’t put up with the humiliation. He lifted her up, He stood up for her.

Her faith so fragile, reaching for His hand.

Jesus had passed by her so many times, with His words of love and forgiveness for her and today, this night He was doing it again, "...your sins are forgiven..." And this night, she was ready to be washed with those words, "...yours sins are forgiven..."

And today on her knees with her tears, hair and perfume Jesus took her outstretched hands and pulled her close to the Father’s heart. He took her hands, “Your sins, all your wrongs, your past, is gone. You are my child. You cannot escape my love.”

Those same words were spoken to those Jesus passed by on His way to His execution. His blood dripped, His heart broke, His body failing, but His love bursting. Jesus passed by the people who spit on Him, who pulled His beard, who yelled hatred at Him, who beat Him, who were afraid of Him, who loved Him, who denied Him. They followed Him up the hill to watch Him give all that He had so that He could cleanse what which was filthy. And in His lasts breaths he prayed,

Forgive them.

I don't know where you are at, what season your are in...but know this, "...your sins are forgiven...come home."