Monday, October 12th, 2020

Political opinions divide more than just our country today; they divide our communities, churches, and even families. In a battle of rhetoric and ideas, both sides try to prove their way is better. In the pursuit of winning the idea war, we too often think of ourselves and those with whom we agree as better people than those with whom we disagree. Such thinking is what leads to disdain, then separation, then hate. It calls to mind the interaction Jesus had with a Pharisee when he had dinner with him in the book of Luke. The Pharisee viewed himself as superior to the woman who cleansed Jesus’ feet. He was shocked to see Jesus even allowing her to touch him! Jesus responded by saying, “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. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Jesus saw this woman for who she truly was – not just a sinner but a human being who deserved love, and through her faith, forgiveness. What if we saw each other as Jesus saw this woman? What if we even saw those people we vehemently disagreed with in this way? We would find that if you start viewing others as deserving of love for who they are, you will start loving them as they are. Today, view those around you through a new lens, one that sees the humanity, the deservedness, and goodness in each.

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 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.

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.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

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. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” – Luke 7: 36-50 NIV