From Luke 7 & 8: 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37 And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner." 40Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "speak." 41 "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44 Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." 48 Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 1 Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.
Somewhere in the mid-Atlantic, during a violent storm, a difficult question was asked of a little man who was afraid to die. The storm made him question survival and seeking a place below deck where he could die, instead he encounters a group of Christians celebrating their pending death. The leader of the group had to ask this man if he knew Jesus. The man replied that he knew Jesus to be the Savior of the world. The leader then asked if he knew Jesus to be his savior, and he had to confess that he did not.
The man asked that question could have been me or you. The man was very religious, but was not in a relationship with Jesus. The same is true about the man who hosted Jesus to supper. He wanted to know a little more about Jesus, but did not show any genuine signs of hospitality one would show to a friend or an honored guest. This mysterious woman did; weeping, she used her tears to wash Jesus' feet, and used her hair to dry them. She kissed His feet and used ointment to anoint Jesus' feet. She was in relationship with Jesus; she had know that she had made some wrong choices in her life; we call it sin. But she also knew that in Jesus she could find forgiveness for those sins, this the acts of gratitude toward Jesus. And the passage ends with with a partial list of wonn who followed Jesus and out of their gratitude, financially supported Jesus' ministry.
The man I mentioned above was a very religious man until he understood the need to have a relationship with Jesus. It would be a bit later when John Wesley went to a lay-led meeting at Aldersgate that he felt his heart "strangely warmed" and he understood that Christ had died for his sins, "even mine."
There should be no room in our hearts for sin. Sin kills. It's a slow, painful process and takes victims with it if we are not careful. But the Good News is that Jesus takes away our sins, even mine, for the asking. It's a message too good to keep to ourselves. Transformation begins from within, and taking away our sins is the first big step.
PRAYER: Living and Loving God, help me to stay in relationship with You. Forgive my sins and cast them into the deep part of the sea. Remove from my memory the harm they may have caused me and others. Let me be all about telling others about Your love. This I ask in the Name of He who came to take away my sin, Jesus my Lord and Savior, amen.
