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P. O. Box 2252, Oak Park, Illinois 60303-2252 info@wordoflifeministries.org 773-544-0058

This Woman

And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace – Luke 7:50.

The Pharisees believed that only God could forgive sins, so they wondered why this man Jesus was saying the woman’s sins were forgiven. They didn’t grasp the fact that Jesus is indeed God. Jesus raised women from degradation and servitude to fellowship and service. In Jewish culture, women were not supposed to learn from rabbis. By allowing these women to travel with Him, Jesus was showing that all people are equal under God. These women supported Jesus’ ministry with their time and own money. They owed a great debt to Him, for He had cast demons out of some and healed others.Jesus was invited by Simon, who was a Pharisee to come to his house for dinner. While Jesus was there a woman who was well-known as a sinner came in with an alabaster box of ointment. She stood behind Him weeping and began to wash His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with her hair and anointed His feet with oil. As she cried and washed His feet, the Pharisee was looking down upon the woman and mistaken assumption that Jesus didn’t know who the woman was.

The woman may have been a prostitute, but she was the one washing Jesus feet with her tears and her hair. Normally, sandals would be removed at the door and the guest’s feet washed by a servant. This must not have happened for Jesus to have made the statement to Simon, as well as gently rebuking him of his assumptions ( And He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss but this woman since the time I came in hath ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment -Luke 7:44-46).

Jesus knew what kind of woman was worshiping Him, and showering Him with her tears, but He also was aware of what was in Simon’s heart. To get Simon’s attention, Jesus referred to a series of socially proper activities of greeting that a host would normally show when he had a guest in his home, none of which Simon had followed. Simon was so busy condemning the woman, he forgot to do what he was supposed to do for his guest.

The Pharisee was very critical of the woman, but he didn’t perceive the repentance that was in her heart. She knew she was a sinner, she knew the man she was washing his feet with her tears was holy and without sin. This woman was displaying expensive love, the woman’s act of humility and love shows that she had been forgiven. The woman’s love didn’t cause her forgiveness, but her faith in Jesus, despite her many sins, saved her.

Many times as Christians, we look at the outer appearance whether than discerning the spirit of a person. How many times have people attended our churches and were rejected or looked down upon because of their past or current lifestyle? Before we can cast a stone at anyone, we need to do a self-examination of our heart and spirit, if not, we will be like the Pharisee. Sometimes, people have an attitude because they have been saved for years, they act as though they have seniority in the spirit. No matter how long we’ve been saved, we should always keep a humble and meek spirit towards God and man. We’re all saved by grace, and not by works.

Jesus came to save the lost and to set the captive free. We were once in the need of healing for our souls, when we see others that may not be spiritually matured, we’re supposed to work with them until Christ be formed in them. Working with them is showing mercy, compassion, long-suffering and praying for them. Keeping in remembrance where we were at one time. This woman was grateful for her sins being forgiving, she showed her appreciation by loving on Jesus with adoration and humility.  Let’s welcome the sinner, draw them by the Spirit of God that lives within us, pray for them, and as we pray for them it will increase our prayer life, it will increase our faith, it will increase our commitment to the Lord, and it will set the captive free.

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