“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 wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.” -Luke 7:44
The Bible is replete with examples of a life of kindness that exemplifies God’s grace. In many of those instances human kindness is linked with gratitude for God’s saving work. Luke records the story of a woman whose only known personal detail is that she is sinful (Luke 7:36-50). Since I’m the president of that club I’ve already sent her a letter officially welcoming her to the next chapter meeting. But I digress.
Jesus is eating at the home of a seemingly wealthy and influential Pharisee when this woman enters. She weeps over her own brokenness. She believes she has found the one who can forgive her, restore her soul and return to her life meaning, healing, and wholeness. The Pharisee is aghast at this startling break from social convention. She should not be allowed in his home. Jesus should not allow her to touch him both because of social norms and because of ritual purity laws. This is a greater outrage than a Sooner fan wearing a Texas jersey to the Cotton Bowl.
I love the parable Jesus uses. Are you more grateful if you’ve been forgiven a debt of $50 or $500 or $500,000? Imagine your mortgage lender, the second year into a 30-year note, forgiving the rest of your debt. In his pride the Pharisee did not recognize the spiritual debt, which had been forgiven him. This woman was painfully aware of her great spiritual debt. Therefore, the Pharisee failed to offer the basic courtesy of washing, or having a servant wash, the feet of his guest. What a failure of social etiquette and a total disregard for kindness!Juxtapose the ungrateful Pharisee with this woman who recognizes her imperfection and is overcome with gratitude for Christ’s forgiveness. She washes Jesus’ dirty, gritty feet with her own tears and her hair. What a kindness! But she does not stop there. She anoints his head with expensive oil. This would have been far above and beyond any social expectations of the time. What a kindness!
When have you experienced God working in your life? How has that brought meaning, healing, and wholeness? How can your life respond with gratitude and kindness for what God has done? As President of the Sinful Person Club, I can assure you that we are not destined to be chained by shame, regret, or self-pity. Instead we should all recognize our brokenness, accept for ourselves God’s grace, and respond with lives of kindness.
Rev. Drew Haynes, Pastor of Campus Operations
