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. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven –for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” –John 7:44-48
Reading about the woman with the alabaster box wrecks my heart! I have listened to songs about it and probably read about it in Scripture many times, but something about reading it again this morning just shed new light on it for me.
We are told that this woman lived a sinful life, but we do not know the exact nature of her sin. However, judging from Jesus’ statement in verses 39 and 41-43, she probably did a lot of “stuff.” When this woman heard that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house in her town, she brought an alabaster jar with very expensive perfume and lavishly anointed Jesus’ feet with it; it was probably the most expensive possession she had. The disciples even marveled at this in Matthew 26, saying, “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” In spite of all the comments, the woman continued to weep and wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Can you visualize this? Can you see the desperation in her heart? Can you feel the pain that she must have carried most of her life? O I love her reckless abandon!
After she lavished her love and desperation for freedom from the bondage of sin she lived in, the woman had touched Jesus’ heart, and He simply said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” While she was still in sin, the woman came to Jesus! Even though everyone in her town probably condemned her (see verse 39), she still came to Jesus! She knew that He was the only that could free her from the prison of sin she had spent most of her life in. She came to him by faith, with remorse, in humility, in desperation, with gratitude, and with unashamed love!
You see dear friends, when we are caught up in a lifestyle of sin, we are often too ashamed to confess it, or come out and seek help. We often try to hide it, you know, coming to Church and lifting up “holy hands” in worship to God, but knowing deep down in our hearts that we are not okay! The enemy would love nothing more than for us to continue to lead secret lives of sin behind closed doors, but the truth of the matter is that God wants to redeem us and set us free. Do you believe that He can do that for you? No, you do not have to first clean yourself before you come to Him! Come to Him just as you are and have faith that He can set you free! Contrary to what the enemy would have you believe, you cannot change or try to make it on your own! He loved you and died for you even when your life was ugly, so bring it all to Him by faith today! Forget what the world thinks, it is all a part of your testimony of His power! He will take you just as you are and change you from the inside out! I dare you to come to Him!
I leave you with Jesus’ words from Matthew 26:13, “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Wow! The tale of a sinful woman being shared in the same breath as the gospel...think about it!
Grace and peace be with you.
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