Perspectives

Luke 7:36-40… Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37) When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38) and 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. (NIV1984)

There are moments in life when most of us do some weird and wonderful things, things that stretch or imaginations, like making New Year resolutions. We know deep in our hearts that they are mere words or thoughts, but we do them anyway. However, there are those times when we look at life in a more serious way, and ask the question, “Lord, would you help me that I might bring honor to Your Name this year? Would you help me that I might understand the spiritual needs of others? Would you help me with that special insight so that I can recognize my very own short-coming?”

Our conversation this month centers on the lives of two different people. One, a Pharisee by the name of Simon and the other person we will call, “A lady of the night, who sought salvation and received salvation.” Simon was so righteous that he misunderstood everything; he misunderstood the woman, he misunderstood Jesus, and I doubt that he even knew what he was about. He misunderstood the woman because he knew what kind of life she had been living and not what she wanted from Jesus. Christ, on the other hand, knew why she had come; she had come because she wanted peace in her heart.

Consider this woman: She has been brought to repentance and is now in the act of worshiping Jesus. Simon can only see her past and therefore dismisses her without any further consideration, then fails to understand Jesus too. He was saying in verse 39) “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.” But Jesus understood Simon, verse 40) Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” Tell me, teacher,” he said. Then Jesus explains how he, Simon, did not understand what Jesus was doing.

Our friend Simon thought that if Jesus was a prophet He would know all about this woman. Simon’s thinking was that if Jesus was a prophet He would surely reject this woman. Simon is right. Jesus did know her past, but He also knew the longing of her heart to be right with God, and that is, after all, the reason Jesus came – to bring hope and salvation to those who truly seek Him.

Simon even misunderstood himself since he himself was a sinner and just as much in need of forgiveness as this woman. Failure to see oneself as a sinner is why so many die in their sin. Simon was conscious of no sin in his life and therefore felt no love, and received no forgiveness during Christ’s visit. His thinking was that he was a good man both in the sight of God and mankind. The woman, on the other hand, was conscious of nothing other than a deep need and therefore was overwhelmed with a love for Christ who could supply the love and forgiveness she sought, and so she received forgiveness.

It seems strange that perhaps the greatest sin is when people are conscience of no sin in their life. However, when we have a sense of need, when we have a sense that there is sin in our life, the door to God’s forgiveness will always be open. Why? Because God is love, and love’s greatest desire is for us to be set free from a guilty conscious. Christ wants to impart this love to us with no strings attached.

Would you pray this prayer with me? “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have the peace in my heart that I yearn for. I really want that peace, joy and happiness that fulfills my heart’s desire. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will honour Your Name. Amen.”