36 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. 41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him
five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to
pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him
more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt
canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. 44 Then he
turned toward the woman and said to 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. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but
this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You
did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- for she loved much.
But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to
her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among
themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to
the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
In
her 1972 hit song, Roberta Flack asks "Where is the love - You said you'd
give to me - Soon as you were free - Will it ever be - Where is the love?"
After reading Luke 7:36-50, we might wonder why Jesus isn't asking us the same
question. Where is the love that should come from us who have been set free
from sin and death by His sacrifice on the Cross? Where is the love that we
promised to give to Him when we confirmed our Baptismal faith? Where is the
love that should freely flow from sinners who have been forgiven? If our love
for Jesus isn't clearly evident in our words and actions now, will it ever be?
Love
isn't found in the empty promises that Roberta Flack was lamenting -- or that
we have found ourselves making. Genuine love is shown in a person's words and
actions. When Jesus was reclining at a dinner at Simon's house, a woman known
to be a sinner seized the opportunity to
express her love for Jesus by washing His feet with her tears, drying
them with her hair, and anointing them with perfume. Her open expression of
love stands in stark contrast to the lack of action on the part of Jesus' host.
Simon, who was a Pharisee, did not show Jesus any love. In fact, he did not
even extend Jesus the basic actions of hospitality that would have shown
friendship and acceptance. Given his attitude and his arrogance, one has to
wonder why Simon invited Jesus into his home in the first place.
The
essential difference between Simon and the unnamed, uninvited woman wasn't in
their actions, but in why they acted as they did. Simon and the woman were
responding according to their understanding of who Jesus is and what He has
done for them. The woman knew Him to be the Savior and understood her great
need for forgiveness. She saw Jesus as her only hope for escaping the judgment
and condemnation that she rightly deserved. She wasn't looking for a warrior
king to raise the nation to greatness in the world, but a personal savior to
deliver her from sin and death. She had a great love for Jesus because she had
received so much from Him. In contrast, Simon viewed Jesus as a challenge and
was sizing Him up to figure out how to deal with Him. Simon was looking for a
national deliverer, not a personal Savior. As a Pharisee, he was looking for
validation of his goodness, not forgiveness. He was not afraid of being judged,
but felt justified in judging others. He had little love for Jesus because he
didn't think he had much use for Him.
"Where
is the love?" is a deeply personal question. It is answered based on how
you understand who Jesus is and what it is that He has done for you. If you
think well of Him, consider Him to be a great teacher, and admire His example,
but you don't understand your great need for His forgiveness then you will love
Him little. But if you look to Him as your only hope, kneel at His feet in
tears because you know that you have sinned against Him, and embrace the
vastness of His forgiveness, you are certain to love Him much. Where is the
love? It is in the love that Jesus Christ has brought to you. Where is the
love? It is in the promises made and then kept on the Cross of Calvary. Where
is the love? It is yours now in the freedom from sin and death that Jesus'
blood has secured for you. Where is the love? It is in the forgiveness and the
life that you have in Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment